Talismans
by LTC
Summary: Jade tries to stop a Dark Hand spy from stealing he talismans...and ends up releasing the demons from the Netherworld. Can Jade stop the demons and save Jackie?
1. The Leak

Disclaimer~ Look up. Above the title and the handy navigation bar, to the part where it says "FanFiction.net." Please note the "fan" part, and reach the assumption that I am not Jackie Chan, nor do I work for Kids WB. Just a fan writing this story out of boredom and her friends' prodding. Consider this chapter and all future chapters disclaimed.  
  
Chapter 1~ The Leak  
  
Jade Chan walked into a dark alleyway in San Francisco. She tossed her cotton candy in the garbage can, and opened her small green backpack. Inside were several Superballs, a GnomeCop action figure that talked when you pressed a button on its back, and a Supermoose plushie. She couldn't wait to show Jackie everything she had won at the Spring Carnival, and it had only cost $8 plus the cotton candy.  
  
The girl sidestepped into a phone booth in the alley, punched in a few numbers, then grinned with pleasure as the phone booth began its turbulent ride into Section 13. 'Beats a roller coaster anytime,' she thought to herself, taking out a blue superball and bouncing it as she stepped off. It shot back up out of her hand. "Whoa, kid-o! That's some ball ya got there!" said the guard, a slim man in his fifties, congenially. Jade frowned out of annoyance. This must be a new guy, because the rest of the guard knew better than to be too friendly. She had something of a reputation around here. . .must've started when Captain Black listed her as Section 13's greatest security threat.  
  
'Why do people always treat me like I'm a little kid? I'm almost 13! If only I were a little bit taller. . .' with pleasant images of a full grown Jade returning to teach this man a lesson, she responded shortly "Do you know where my uncle is?"  
  
The guard shook his head. "Haven't seen him, honey. Ask Captain Black, he's in his office. I'm George, by the way. George Mackenzie."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "I'll go look. Bye, um, George."  
  
Running along Section 13's broad hallways, she quickly reached Captain Black's office. The tall bald man didn't notice her standing outside the slightly open door, as he was on the phone.  
  
"Right, Carla. And be sure to watch out for any suspicious activities in your sector. If we've got a leak, we've got to find it and plug it. Call me if anything comes up." He hung up, then turned around. It took a few seconds for his green eyes to catch sight of the girl who edged into his office. The broad grin on her face worried him slightly.  
  
"Jade! What's up?"  
  
"When you said leak, I'm guessing you weren't talking plumbing. What is it? Demon? Wizard? Some other insanely cool magical dude for the J-Team to fight? Don't worry, me and Jackie can handle everything. Just give me the scoop."  
  
He sighed. It was not his wish for enthusiastic Jade to find out about this. "We don't know where the leak is, but one of our teams were ambushed when trying to capture Valmont. It was too premeditated for comfort, and our sources tell us that since he broke out of jail, he's been trying to rebuild the Dark Hand. We think it's possible that one of his men might be in here. Not positive, but we're all on high alert."  
  
"That is so cool! Anything I can do?"  
  
Captain Black chuckled to himself. 'Oh, boy, when Jade helps, it usually means trouble. Remember Agent Tag. . .Still, if I say she can't help, she'll find her own way, and it'll be worse. . .'  
  
"How about you just keep your eye out for anything suspicious."  
  
She pouted, she had been hoping for a more interesting job. Something undercover, involving lots of things Jackie wouldn't approve of. . .Captain Black must have noticed her expression, because he continued "But don't tell anyone. We'll keep this between you and me, that way, our leak won't suspect you."  
  
Jade grinned. "I won't tell anyone! It'll be like being a secret agent! Oh, by the way, have you seen Jackie?"  
  
"Last I saw, he was in his room, but he may have gone to Uncle's shop. I think he had some work to do. You still might be able to catch him, though."  
  
"Sure thing. Gimme a chance to get to work on the secret agent thing."  
  
The girl left the room, and Captain Black groaned inwardly. 'What have I done? Oh, well, maybe it won't be too bad. . .'  
  
Jade ran through Section 13, towards the back where she and her uncle lived. On her way, she ran into George Mackenzie once again.  
  
"Hi, George. . .thought you were on phone booth duty?"  
  
"Nope, on break now."  
  
'Ah, suspicious behavior! Perfect chance to test out my position. . .' "Why spend your break around the talisman vaults, instead of in the coffee room?"  
  
"Don't like coffee. Besides, it's quieter. . .or at least it was. . ." He grinned at her, and she muttered an apology and walked the rest of the way to Jackie's room, only to find that he was not there. There was a piece of scrap paper on his desk, with Jackie's scratchy handwriting on it.  
  
Jade- Have gone to Uncle's shop. Be back soon. Stay out of Trouble. -Jackie  
  
Jade was mildly insulted that the 'stay out of trouble' part was underlined about five times. Also, it was annoying that Jackie had left her. Uncle's Shop was hardly fun central, but for all she knew, they could be discovering some new magic right now without her. 'Oh, well, I'll just drop in and see what they're up to.'  
  
She slipped out of Jackie's room, and, remembering George, tiptoed along the hall. She peered around the corner and saw George on his cell phone, talking with a mystery person. Concentrating on not making any sound, she caught snippets of his conversation.  
  
"Yes, I know the security code. Of course, of course. . .so, we'll meet tonight? Perfect, 11:00. Bring the money, alright? No, I won't forget. . .yes, all twelve. Alright, see you then. Yes, yes, bye."  
  
He closed the small black phone and walked off. Jade clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. George Mackenzie was the leak, and he was planning to break into the talisman vaults tonight! Jade ran back to Captain Black's office, not caring now that her soles clomped loudly on the floor, but the Section 13 captain was gone. His assistant, a tall brunette who's name Jade didn't know, was inside, looking through papers.  
  
"Uh. . .have you seen Captain Black?"  
  
"Sorry, I think he went out. Why, is it important?"  
  
"Yeah, I know-" Jade paused. 'Wait, promised Captain Black I wouldn't tell! And why is she shuffling papers? Could be an accomplice!' Jade shuffled her feet, and backed away. "Um, it's kinda private. But not too important. Sorry. I'll just tell him later."  
  
She ran out of the room and to the old fire escape stairs she had been accustomed to using for quick getaways from and into Section 13. She reached the alleyway, and headed for the nearest bus stop.  
  
Author's Note~ Wow, thanks for reading! It's very exciting someone actually bothered to read the whole chapter through. I'm a bit nervous at posting this, I basically wrote this story at the prodding of my friends. I love Jackie Chan, but unlike my other passion, The Zeta Project, Jackie Chan Adventures is for the most part a comedy. I'm really not very good at writing humor, trying to sound spontaneous when really I've been setting it up. . .but I'll do my best, and this promises to be a very long fan fiction. . .thanks again for reading, and if you could just click that little button at the bottom, the one that says submit review, that would really make my day.  
  
Oh, and just a note, in case you care. . .I'll try to get the following chapters up on a weekly or biweekly basis. No month long waits, Scout's Honor! (Who said I'm a Scout. . .) 


	2. Jackie's Bad Day

Author's Note~ Here's chapter 2, a rather short chapter. . .thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I hope I don't disappoint! Thanks for reading, and need I say it? Please review!  
  
Ch 2 ~ Jackie's Bad Day  
  
Jackie was having a very bad day. First, he arrived at the airport at five in the morning, but had to sit inside the plane for two hours without moving while mechanics checked out a problem. Then, he took the rare Ming vase he had been so proud of finding to a lab, and discovered it was a cheap Victorian knock-off. When he came home, he reached into his wallet to pay the cab driver, and found only a note that read "Jackie, I borrowed some money to go to the carnival. Hope you don't mind!" so he had to call Captain Black to pay his fare. Now, after innocently deciding to pay his uncle a visit, he was spending the afternoon dusting and sweeping and lifting heavy boxes, still in his sweaty and dirty kaki pants and jacket, because Tohru had a cold.  
  
He sighed as he swept all of the dust from the back of the old shop into a dust pan, discovering dirt so deep that several cockroaches were buried too thick in the pan to see them. 'This place should be condemned,' he thought to himself bitterly. Suddenly, he heard the door in the front swing open. He ignored it.  
  
"Jackieee! Take care of customer!" came the shrill voice of Uncle from upstairs. "Uncle must brew healing potion for Tohru!"  
  
Jackie put down the broom and walked into the front of the shop. Immediately, his young niece pounced on him, almost knocking him over.  
  
"Jade! Watch where you're going! Oh, and I need the money you took! You need to ask before you take things from people!"  
  
"But Jackie-"  
  
"And another thing, Jade, what are you doing here? Don't you have homework?"  
  
"Uh, Friday, duh!"  
  
Deciding to skip a lecture on procrastination, Jackie frowned at her. "But you should stay put when I tell you to. How'd you get here?"  
  
"The bus. But there's something really important!"  
  
Jackie was slightly alarmed by the urgent tone in her voice. Knowing Jade, it was probably nothing, but you couldn't be sure.  
  
"Okay, then, what is it, Jade?"  
  
Jade's amber eyes darted around quickly, as if looking for hidden spies. Then, she pulled her uncle down close by the collar of his jacket, and whispered in his ear.  
  
"There's a spy in Section 13"  
  
"Jade, Captain Black alr-"  
  
"No, I know who!"  
  
"What?! Why didn't you tell Captain Black?"  
  
"Shh.he wasn't there. His assistant was, but I think she's a spy, too."  
  
Jackie's initial panic receded, and the corner of his mouth dropped. Playing along with Jade, he whispered back "How do you know he was a spy?"  
  
"I overheard a phone conversation, and he said he knew the combination to the vaults, and he was going to meet the Dark Hand at 11:00 to give them all twelve talismans!"  
  
Jackie was through whispering. "He said that?!"  
  
Jade looked thoughtful. "Well. . .something like that. He didn't exactly say Dark Hand, or talisman. . .or even vaults. . .but I think it was implied."  
  
Jackie sighed. It was a relief to know that this was just another one of Jade's "moments," instead of an actual emergency.  
  
"Jade. . .do you remember the time you thought that old woman in the supermarket was Daolon Wong?"  
  
"Yeah! She was so creepy! C'mon, Jackie, it was an honest mistake. Anyways, what does this have to do with a Dark Hand spy?"  
  
"Do you remember the little talk we had afterwards?"  
  
"Um. . .no?"  
  
"The one about not jumping to conclusions?" he said gently.  
  
"Oh. . .that one."  
  
"Right. Jade, you can't go around accusing people without proof!"  
  
"But Jackieeeeee!" she groaned.  
  
"Sorry, Jade. Now, help me watch Uncle's shop, and we can get a movie to watch later."  
  
Jade sighed. "Fine. What're we getting?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Well, there's a new documentary about the aborigines of Australia," he said, in a voice that suggested he thought this a very tempting offer.  
  
"Oh. Goodie," said Jade, less than enthusiastically. "But- but what if George tries to steal the talismans?"  
  
"Jade, if there ever really is a spy, Section 13 security can stop them. It isn't up to us. I'm an archaeologist, and you're a little girl who needs to stop worrying so much."  
  
"But Jackie-"  
  
"Jade. . ." he said in a warning tone.  
  
"Oookay. . ." she said to her uncle, eyes downcast. 'Fine. If Jackie won't help save the talismans, I'll have to do it myself.' 


	3. The Vaults

Ch 3 ~ The Vaults  
  
Jade pulled on a dark turtleneck and black jeans. She took a small laminated card and fingered it in her palms. Earlier, when she had checked in to see if Captain Black had returned, she had pawned the vault access key from the drawer hidden under his desk. Now, she placed the card under her pillow. Hearing footsteps in the hallway, she quickly dove under the covers of her bed and picked up a handy comic book, flipping to the middle. There was a brisk rap on the door.  
  
"Jade?"  
  
"Come in!"  
  
The door opened and her uncle came in, having cast off his jacket and kaki shorts in favor of brown slacks and the blue sweater Jade's mother had given him.  
  
"It's getting late, Jade. Shouldn't you get some sleep?"  
  
Jade feigned a yawn, sending a fleeting nervous glance at the trash can which held several empty caffeinated soda cans that she had gulped down earlier to stay alert. She covered her mouth with her palm.  
  
"Now that you mention it, I am a little sleepy." She glanced over at her beside clock. "10:00 already? Well, I'd better get some shut-eye. Could you turn out the light, Jackie?"  
  
Jackie frowned. Strange, Jade usually resisted his numerous attempts to get her to go to sleep before the late-night talk shows. Especially on weekends.  
  
"Jade, what are you up to?"  
  
The girl looked scandalized. "Tch, what happened to not jumping to conclusions?"  
  
He sighed. "Alright. Good night, Jade. Sweet dreams!" he grinned.  
  
"Night, Uncle Jackie!" Jade said, dropping her comic book to the floor, resting her head on the pillow, and closing her eyes. Jackie smiled. He had to admit his niece could be cute, much more so when she was innocently asleep then when she was getting in trouble for fighting in school or emerging from some hiding spot when he least expected it. Hopefully, Jade wasn't up to something, but Jackie resigned himself to accepting that even if she was, he wouldn't be able to stop her. He shrugged, flipped off the light, and shut the door.  
  
Minutes after Jackie had gone, Jade threw off the covers and remade the bed over some pillows so that if Jackie checked in, it would look like she was there. She pocketed the cardkey and climbed up on top of her bunk bed, balancing precariously on the bedpost as her eyes began to grow used to the dark and objects around her took recognizable shapes. Her small hands grasped the air vent frame and easily took it off. Jade has thought it wise to unscrew the hinges to that valuable passageway a long time ago. The girl lay the frame gently on the pillow and hoisted herself up into the metal ventilation system. Belly rubbing against the bottom of the tunnel, she slithered along until she reached the 5th opening, the one overlooking the vault door.  
  
After nervously checking to make sure there were no guards on patrol, Jade climbed to the ground and swiped Captain Black's card through the scanner. The door opened, revealing a smaller door. She went up to the keypad and punched in the numbers "007"  
  
"Access Denied" said the computerized voice of the keypad.  
  
"What?! Tch. .he changed the password, duh. Think, Jade. . .uh. . ."  
  
She punched in Captain Black's cell phone number.  
  
"Access Denied."  
  
"Okay. . ." She tried his home phone, the first digits of his license plate, and his birthday to no avail.  
  
On a whim, she typed 12345, and to her surprise, the vault opened. 'Ooookay. . .actually, that's pretty clever. I mean, why would anyone guess that?'  
  
Jade walked into the vault, and looked at the odd glowing yellow floor. Seeing as she hadn't enough time to 'borrow' Jackie's rope and grappling hook, she wasn't sure how to get across, and if she wanted to get the talismans out before the Dark Hand arrived, she didn't have time to work out the security code, either. Then, she remembered the laundry cart outside the first door.  
  
Cursing herself for not thinking of it earlier, Jade ran back through both doors and filled her arms with bed sheets, then ran into the vault. She tied the sheets together, almost wishing she had spent longer than a week as a Buttercup Scout or at least listened to Jackie occasionally because her knots were not very tight. But they would do.  
  
It took several tries of trying to get the rope over the high support beams before she thought to use her shoes as ballast. Jade untied the small sneakers and stood in her socks as she finally was able to get the rope ready for climbing. She knotted the first sheet to the vault door, and hoisted herself on top of the support beam.  
  
Suddenly, she remembered the cameras watching the talismans. She had been caught by those before. Taking the superball that was still in her pocket, she took careful aim and fired at the first camera. The lens shattered, and the ball bounced off the wall returning to her hand, allowing her to take out two other cameras.  
  
Then, she lowered herself cautiously down into the center of the vault. This was when it all went wrong. Jade had scarcely reached for the Rat Talisman when she felt the sheet in her hands become loose and longer. It didn't take long for her to realize her fragile knot was coming apart. Scrambling to grab the next sheet before she fell to the deadly floor, Jade managed to knock several talisman's from their perch. As she gripped the sheet above her, the first sheet fell along with the talismans. Jade sighed with relief as the sheet she had dropped didn't fall but draped over the talisman case. Suddenly, alarms went off everywhere. 'What? Oh, I am sooo grounded. . .' The talismans she had kicked when scrambling for the next sheet had fallen and triggered the alarm, as well as the floor. She watched the horse, rat, and dog- as well as the dragon and tiger that the sheet had disconnected- glow white hot with heat and power. Then, the knot she had tied the blanket to the door with broke, and Jade fell.  
  
She scrambled the grab anything, and managed to dislodge the rest of the talismans, before getting a secure hold on the base of the talisman case. The girl groaned, a sharp pain in her head and her left arm. Her clenched shut eye opened and caught sight of a glowing talisman below her-the horse. Groggily she reached for it, but when she lifted it, she felt not the familiar tingle of the healer but a sharp pain. 'Duh, Jade, the floor,' she thought to herself angrily.  
  
Then, the talisman crumbled in her grip, and she dropped the pieces to the floor, feeling strange. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched a figure in black nearby, moving swiftly to hide. 'The spy!' She tried to get up to follow, but slipped as she was moving up, and fell to the floor finally losing consciousness.  
  
  
  
Jackie lay in bed, halfway between sleep and consciousness. He was tired from a day's work, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Perhaps he should have listened to Jade. She was upset, and who knows, perhaps there could have been something to her suspicions. It may have been worth it to at least check her lead out, just to keep his niece from worrying.  
  
Jackie sighed and climbed out of bed, opening the door to his room and walking over to Jade's bedroom in his green and blue pajamas. Knowing full well that she was probably already asleep, he carefully creaked open the door to her room. Yes, she was lying on top of her bunk, peaceful as can be. Jackie resolved to tell her he'd checked up on the talismans in the morning.  
  
The archaeologist frowned. There was still something bothering him. . .Jade was hardly a sound sleeper. He'd known from various trips he'd been on with her that she tended to toss and turn and kick off her covers while she slept. He crept silently over to the punk and pulled back the blanket- revealing pillows. At that moment, the alarms went off across Section 13. Jackie let out a long-suffering sigh, and ran back to his bedroom, grabbing his cell phone and dialing Captain Black. The captain picked up his own cell phone, recognizing Jackie's number.  
  
"Nothing to worry about the alarms, Jackie. Coming from the talisman vaults, troubling because as you know, Shendu still resides there, but every guard is making his way to the vaults right now. No escape."  
  
"I'm very sorry to waste your time, Captain Black, but I bet I know who your intruder is. My niece isn't in bed."  
  
Captain Black's voice sounded troubled. "You sure, Jackie? If it's Jade I want to shut the security shield off, it's on double power for intruder protection."  
  
Jackie nodded, then realized his friend couldn't exactly see him. "It's her alright. I'm very sorry. Rest assured she'll be in a lot of trouble."  
  
Jackie wriggled into his pants and hastily pulled his sweater over his head, messing up his jet black hair. He began running in the direction of the talisman vaults. There was already a squad of agents going the same way as Jackie. And, surprise, the large door had been opened. Jackie ran inside, and then drew back in surprise. His niece lay on the thankfully shut-off floor, hand clenched tightly around the fragments of one talisman. The rest of the talismans were nowhere to be seen.  
  
The Section 13 agents began scouring the vaults, and finally one shouted "Up there!" A dark figure was atop the support beams on the roof. Jackie quickly leapt on top on the talisman case, to the lowest beam, and up the next few until he reached the top, but the figure had already vanished. He looking for the thief, but his attention went to Jade, who was being taken to the Section 13 Infirmary. His duty was, of course, to his niece, and if the thief had any idea how to work the talismans, he was probably already gone.  
  
Author's Note ~ Well, this chapter was longer than the last one. Sorry I took so long to update, I could've sworn my last update was only a week ago. I'm gonna have some update troubles soon, as I'll be on vacation and then back in school, so I'll try my best to keep to some schedule, Chapter 4 should be on time or even early, but if Chapter 5 is late, don't hurt me! And a million hugs to each and every one of my reviewers. You guys rock. ^_^ I wish I could thank each one of you individually, but I just hate Author's Notes that are about a page long and take more time to read than the chapter. And everyone, give a big round of applause for my good beta reader, Caily. She's been so good considering that lately I've taken to e- mailing her the fic in panic about a day b4 it's supposed to come out. *blush* Don't thank my lousy beta, Spooji. :p 


	4. The Dark Hand

Ch 4~ The Dark Hand  
  
Jade woke the next morning in the Section 13 Infirmary with a terrible headache. She clutched her temple and whimpered, but very softly- she really didn't want to bother any of the doctors. Finally, one noticed her anyways, and gave her an aspirin.  
  
"Oh, thank you," she said, taking it gratefully and glancing down the hall, hoping her uncle or somebody would come to keep her company, just as long as they weren't too busy. She knew they must be working on the talisman case. Fortunately, her uncle did come not too much later, but unfortunately, he was wearing a very stern expression.  
  
"Are you feeling better?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking," she added as an afterthought, smiling. Jackie didn't return her smile.  
  
"Then explain- what were you doing in the Talisman vaults last night? That was very dangerous! You could have been hurt!"  
  
Jade didn't meet Jackie's eyes, but she looked very upset when she responded. "I'm really sorry, Jackie. I wanted to stop the bad guy- but I probably just made things worse."  
  
Jackie noticed with surprise that his niece looked near tears, and his expression softened. "It's okay, Jade. I know you only wanted to help- and you had the right idea in the first place. What can you tell me about the man who stole the talismans?"  
  
"I don't know. . .I fell, and didn't get a good look. I think they were wearing black, and kinda short."  
  
Jackie frowned. There weren't many people Jade could consider short, but her description still might refer to a multitude of people.  
  
"What about what you were telling me yesterday? The spy?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. I overheard a cell phone conversation. . .but you were right about the whole jumping to conclusions thing, Jackie. All I heard was that he knew the security code to something, he was meeting someone somewhere at 11:00 that night, and that he'd have all twelve."  
  
Jackie nodded, but was still frowning seriously.  
  
"I must admit, it doesn't sound like much, but it's the only lead we have. What was the guard's name?"  
  
"George McKenzie. That nice new guard, he sometimes does the phone booth."  
  
Jackie scribbled down the name on a scrap of paper to remember, then smiled at Jade.  
  
"Thank you for your help. We'll get the talismans back. . .Jade?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I wish you hadn't tried to stop the thief, but it was still very brave."  
  
Jade shrugged, for some reason she didn't seem as flattered as Jackie would've expected her to, but she did smile warmly.  
  
"Thanks, Jackie. But I probably just got lucky. And I'm really sorry for worrying you and all."  
  
Jackie was obviously taken aback. "Oh, uh. . .that's okay, Jade. Thanks. . .well, I suppose I should go talk to Captain Black. You're sure that's everything? Nothing you need?"  
  
Jade grinned. "Well, I could use a new laptop computer. Drew has this really cool one."  
  
Jackie smiled back. "I meant something serious. Besides, you don't need everything Drew has. Jealousy isn't good for you."  
  
Jade shrugged, still smiling even at Jackie's comment. "I'm not jealous, I'm really not. I just like it. . .Oh, wait a sec! The horse talisman!" Jade looked around her hospital bed and bedside table, a nearly frantic expression on her face.  
  
"Oh, right, the horse. Yes, we already found that, when we brought you here- or at least the fragments of it. At least that's one talisman we don't have to worry about. . ."  
  
"I'll try to think of other stuff, Jackie."  
  
"No, you just rest. I'll handle everything from here."  
  
"I'm fine, but I'll rest if you want me to. Just call me if you need any help!"  
  
Jackie was surprised at this response. Jade, agreeing to rest instead of joining the fight? Jackie eyed his young niece suspiciously. She looked the picture of innocence, her eyelids drooping slightly and her mouth stuck in a half awake smile. Maybe he was getting too suspicious. Still, it didn't hurt to have someone keeping an eye on her. . .  
  
"Jackie?"  
  
Jackie turned around, to see Tohru filling the entire doorway, holding a tray that was probably once full of chocolate chip cookies, but now held only a few crumbs..  
  
"Feeling better?"  
  
"I'm fine. I brought some of Mommy's cookies for Jade, but. . ."  
  
Jackie smiled inwardly, knowing full well Tohru's appetite.  
  
"Tohru? Would you do me a favor?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Keep an eye on Jade for me. I need to speak to Captain Black."  
  
With the reassurance that someone would be watching Jade, Jackie left the infirmary in the direction of Captain Black's office. He didn't get far, however, because a dark blue shape came rushing down the hallway, nearly knocking him over. On closer inspection, it was the guard, George McKenzie, hurrying off duty. 'Odd. . .Captain Black told me we'd interrogate the guards after their shift. His shouldn't be until later tonight.'  
  
Without a further thought, Jackie followed McKenzie out of the building, carefully remaining several yards behind and out of sight. The man walked a long time through the streets near Section 13, before sitting down a half hour later at a small French bistro Jackie wouldn't have noticed had he come on his own. Jackie frowned, and crouched down behind several crates to watch.  
  
There wasn't long to wait. Within minutes, a man wearing a brown trench coat walked up to the guard. "George!" He said, his voice low. Jackie strained his ears to hear the conversation.  
  
"George, can't talk long, Cynthia's nearby. I gotta thank you for bailing me out last night. Cynthia had already thought that I had forgotten our anniversary. If you hadn't swung by with those roses. . .And I expected you to forget the security code for the gate!"  
  
George and his friend chuckled, and Jackie felt a headache coming on. 'There goes my only lead. . .He was buying roses, not stealing talismans!'  
  
George's friend walked away, and Jackie got up to leave, too, but found that a crate was caught on his sweater sleeve. He was trying to dislodge the crate quietly so as to avoid any embarrassing questions from McKenzie, when something caught his eye. A black car pulled up next to the restaurant, and three men stepped out.  
  
He knew those men- the red-haired one with the crooked nose, the short one wearing a leather jacket and yellow sunglasses, and the taller one with the sickly hue to his skin. Three of Valmont's enforcers were walking right up to George McKenzie. They muttered something Jackie couldn't hear, and George stood up and followed them into their car. Jackie pulled out his cell phone and dialed Captain Black's number.  
  
"Black."  
  
"It's Jackie," he whispered, pulling the crate off his sweater at last.  
  
"Jackie? Where are you? Tohru told me you were on your way to see me a half hour ago."  
  
"McKenzie left the building. I followed him to a Bistro where he got into a car with the Dark Hand."  
  
"We'll be on our way. Don't let the car out of your sight."  
  
"Don't worry." Jackie reached the street corner and hailed a taxi, leaving his phone on so that Captain Black could trace him.  
  
"Follow that car!" Jackie shouted, pointing down the road. The driver arched an eyebrow.  
  
"You're kidding, right?"  
  
"No! Hurry, they're getting away!"  
  
"Listen, nobody does that except in the movies, and. . .hey, aren't you that guy from earlier who couldn't pay his fare?"  
  
"No, I- well, maybe. . .please, go!"  
  
"No way! Get out of my taxi!"  
  
The driver opened the door and shoved Jackie out, then drove away. Jackie instead leapt atop a black motorcycle, snatching the keys out of a biker's hands and zooming away shouting "Sorry, I'll bring it back, thank you!" He had to go full speed to keep the black car in sight, but it wasn't long before he heard the reassuring sound of helicopter blades in the sky- Section 13 was following, far behind so as not to alert the Dark Hand to their presence, but still ready to help.  
  
The car drove into an abandoned parking garage, and Jackie shut off the motorcycle and crept inside. There was no one there but the black car, however he could hear voices upstairs. He crept up the concrete steps and peered around the corner to see the enforcers, McKenzie, and none other than Valmont. Jackie nearly gasped, but stopped himself and instead climbed back down the stairs and spoke into his cell phone.  
  
"Captain Black. Valmont's here."  
  
"Valmont? Don't worry, we're surrounding the building."  
  
And indeed, the next second the sound of footsteps caught Jackie's attention as Section 13 agents entered the garage. They climbed the stairs accompanied by Jackie, and the whir of a helicopter told him that the rest of Section 13 was outside. Captain Black stepped in through the window.  
  
"Valmont, you are under arrest. Hand over the talismans and we may go easy on you."  
  
Valmont, who had previously looked very shocked, recovered and recomposed himself.  
  
"Talismans? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."  
  
Captain Black raised his eyebrow, and everyone pointed their gun at the man in the green suit.  
  
"Don't play innocent, Valmont. We know McKenzie broke into Section 13 to get them."  
  
Valmont looked as though he couldn't decide whether to appear amused or affronted.  
  
"Section 13 security isn't what it used to be, is it? I've just broken out of jail, I don't have time for talisman heists. I need time to rebuild my empire. My spy is just there to keep an eye on things, although apparently spies aren't what they used to be either, are they?"  
  
Captain Black frowned. What Valmont said did make sense, and he didn't have much to gain through lying. There had never been any proof the Talisman thief worked for Valmont. . .but who other than Valmont knew about the Talisman's powers? A ringing from Captain Black's pocket told him he had a call. Nobody but Section 13 employees had his number, so it was likely something that needed his attention.  
  
"Black."  
  
"Black? Mitchell. There's been a break-in at a Radio Shack downtown. I thought it was minor at first, until we got eyewitness reports. Apparently, the thief was capable of super speed, and could shoot huge beams of light. Sound familiar?"  
  
"The talismans. Mitchell, stats on our thief?"  
  
"Nobody got a good look, he was moving too fast. But the thief is short, and wearing dark clothes, possibly a hood, too. We're trying to get a reading from security cameras, if we can get them to pause in the right frame, we may have an ID."  
  
"Sounds like the vault thief. Apparently he's working solo. But how did he know how to activate the talismans? Listen, I'm on my way. But I need a squad to pick up Valmont."  
  
"I'm on it."  
  
With that, Captain Black flipped shut the cell phone and turned to his friend.  
  
"Jackie, the talisman thief struck again. We'd better go. Gentlemen," he said, turning to the Section 13 agents, "we need three of you to stand guard until the squad can pick up the Dark Hand."  
  
Valmont was furious. "But I didn't steal the talismans! You have your proof right there!"  
  
Captain Black grinned almost sadistically. "But you are wanted for jail break as well as several robberies. Have a nice sentence, Valmont. C'mon, Jackie."  
  
Captain Black stepped out the window accompanied by Jackie into the Section 13 helicopter. They flew away, leaving behind a fuming Valmont.  
  
Author's Note~ I know, you're all wondering why I'm updating on Tuesday. Well, I just got back from Vacation and I'm leaving again tomorrow, so this is my last chance. I have Chapter 5 written and back from my beta, so I just need to do some revisions, but with *sob* school starting next week, I may postpone its release to give me more time to write Ch 6. So thanks.  
  
Oh, one more thing (Heh). Someone mentioned in their review they were mad at Jackie in this story. Don't be, I love Jackie ^_^. You must remember that while to us Jade is funny and cool and we all love to see her amazingly solving the problem (How do you do that??), imagine living with her and being responsible for her safety. I've babysat enough kids who aren't nearly as "cunning" as her, and it couldn't be easy. So have some respect for Jackie, he does a damn good job, all things considered. And Jade's "proof" really didn't prove anything. Originally, McKenzie was going to be an innocent guard, but I like this way better. Ties more into the typical way Jade has of accidentally figuring everything out.  
  
So I'm gonna end this Author's Note with the promise that next chapter, you'll finally learn what kind of lousy thief only uses two of the talismans and only robs radio shack. *coughs* Radio Shack is property of, um. . .Radio Shack. I own nothing. Except this remote control car my uncle gave me from there, but it's broken. Don't sue, any Radio Shack executives that are reading Jackie Chan fan fiction. . .I know there are a lot of you. 


	5. The Thief Revealed

Ch 5~ The Thief Revealed  
  
As soon as Jackie got in the helicopter, he allowed himself to ponder the absurdity of a thief who could break into the highest security vault in San Francisco and steal highly powerful magical weapons, and then rob a radio shack using only two of the talismans. There was something he knew he should remember nagging at the back of his mind, but as he could find no way to decipher it, he instead lay back on the seat and took out his cell phone, dialing Tohru.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"This is Jackie. Is Jade behaving herself?"  
  
"I can't talk long, Jackie."  
  
"Oh, no, what'd she do?"  
  
"Nothing. She was feeling a lot better, so she worked on a book report for awhile. Now we're at the theater, we wanted to see the new Melvin Moose Movie and I couldn't reach you to ask if it was okay. . ."  
  
"Oh, it's fine. Jade will enjoy. . .wait, did you say she did a book report? On a Saturday?"  
  
"Yes. . .she said she wanted to make sure she got a good grade."  
  
'Jade is up to something. . .'  
  
"May I talk to her?"  
  
"She's in the ladies' room. She has been for some time, actually. Should I have someone go tell her you want to talk to her?"  
  
"No, it's okay. Our helicopter has nearly reached Radio Shack. . .don't ask. I'll talk to her later. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye, Jackie."  
  
Jackie shut the cell phone just as the helicopter landed on the roof of the mall that had been robbed. He looked over the devastation. Captain Black got the report from a police officer. There had been no casualties, thankfully, but several people had been taken to the hospital for injuries. The Radio Shack had been pretty much destroyed. One of the walls was missing, and the store was filled with rubble. But surprisingly, there wasn't too much missing. According to the report of a shaking and shell- shocked clerk, all that the thief took was a gaming console and some very violent war games, a cell phone with a flame pattern on the cover, and a new laptop computer.  
  
None of the people nearby knew much about the robbery. They said they saw a speedy blur rush by, a blast of golden light destroy the front wall, and items disappear before the blur rushed out. The man who had described the thief as short and wearing black had been taken to the hospital for a broken arm. It looked to Jackie that they were out of leads, when a rather frightening looking man walked up to Jackie, with long grizzled grey hair, very pale blue eyes, and wearing a dirty brown coat and pants. He was sort of mumbling to himself, and then looked Jackie straight in the eyes.  
  
"Um. . .I don't have any spare change."  
  
"I saw 'er."  
  
"You saw. . .who?"  
  
"The thief. I saw 'er. She was running, but she stopped fer just a secin an' there she were in plain sigh'."  
  
Jackie frowned. This man seemed rather crazy, but just perhaps there would be something to his story.  
  
"What did she look like?"  
  
"She was an elf."  
  
'Okay. . .I guess we really are out of leads.'  
  
"Not one o'them big shiny elves in movies. The little kin', sorta scrawny and short with dark har an' sorta brownish eye. That's how she musta used them elf pow'rs to get in. Yep, one o' dem little elves."  
  
Jackie was really uncomfortable, and just wished that this man would go away. He didn't have time for elves. Actually. . .subtract the part about elves, and things just might be starting to make sense. The thief's physical description, her choice of stores and items, her knowledge of the talismans. . .  
  
Captain Black shouted to Jackie from inside the destroyed shop. "Jackie, come quick, we got one of the surveillance cameras working! Not the best picture, but you'll never believe who-"  
  
"Jade."  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
Jackie sighed deeply. "Well, we should go try to find her. She should be with Tohru at the movie theater. I can't believe Jade would do this! I know she isn't perfect, but I didn't think she'd steal, or endanger innocent people just for some laptop."  
  
Captain Black nodded, frowning sadly at his friend. "I know, Jackie. But we have to turn her in. If she gives back the talismans and the stolen items, we may be able to resolve this without too much trouble. I'm sorry."  
  
A remorseful Jackie stepped back into the helicopter, not at all looking forward to the task that lay ahead.  
  
Author's Note~ ^_^ If you're thinking that this chapter was too short, that's on purpose. I could've kept going, but I wanted to keep all of you in suspense. It sure looks like our thief was Jade, but do you think Jade would really do this? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? You'll have to wait another two weeks, unless you've already figured it out. Evil, I know, but I'm in an evil mood. In case you weren't aware, school sucks.  
  
First weekend and I already have a Spanish Test to study for, a Biology chapter to read, A chapter to read and take notes on for History (I'm taking AP Euro, so the chapters are long -.-), 3 chapters of a book to read, and An essay on the summer reading for English. Ugh. I would've had math, but I finished. My three day weekend is down the drain. And what's worse, everyone says sophomore year is supposed to be easy. I can't wait for next year, Junior year is supposedly the one that kills you. Therefore, I'm in a bad mood. But I'm sure none of you care about my school turmoil. 


	6. Innocent

Chapter 6~ Innocent  
  
Jackie was in a dark room studying a poster for a movie that was due that summer- The Medallion. It was supposed to star some kung-fu action hero from Hong Kong, but Jackie couldn't really recall the name. It didn't matter, he wasn't really interested. He glanced casually over at the snack bar, where Captain Black was sipping a large soda. The bald man tapped his wristwatch, and Jackie turned his gaze to a red door marked with digital marquee: Theater 10- Melvin Moose 3.  
  
At that moment, an usher opened the door wide and people began to walk out, mostly children around Jade's age who were yammering excitedly to parents wearing very forced smiles. Jackie gave them sympathetic looks- he had sat through Melvin Moose 1 and 2 with his niece.  
  
The steady trickle of patrons parted and shifted as the unmistakable bulk of Tohru came through the door. Jackie shook his head when he saw that Tohru looked just as excited as the girl who stood next to him, dressed in the unusual choice of a blue sundress sent to her from her parents and a white cardigan, carrying a basin of popcorn larger than her head. She saw Jackie and waved, looking surprised.  
  
"Oh, hi, Jackie!" she waved, and Jackie felt sick to his stomach.  
  
"Hi, Jade. . .How was the movie?"  
  
"Great! It was the best Melvin Moose yet!"  
  
Jackie forced a laugh. "I thought you said you were too old for that, Jade."  
  
"Oh, no. You're never too old for Melvin Moose, huh Tohru?"  
  
"Oh. . .yes," said Tohru distractedly, gazing longingly at the half-full bucket of popcorn Jade held. Jade walked over to a trash can and dumped the popcorn into it.  
  
"Sorry, T, but you know that stuff has a ton of cholesterol! You shouldn't eat it, it's really bad for you. Don't want anything to happen to my best friend!" Jade said brightly, and Tohru sighed and shot a sad glance at the trash bin, then whispered to Jackie  
  
"I'll be at the snack bar."  
  
Jackie nodded and swallowed hard, scratching his head. He knew he'd have to say it eventually, so he took a deep breath.  
  
"Jade. . .I know the truth about the talismans."  
  
She brightened, not the anticipated response.  
  
"You found the thief?"  
  
"Yes. . ."  
  
"Was it George? Did he work for the Dark Hand?"  
  
"Well, he did, but he didn't steal the talismans."  
  
"Then who-"  
  
"Jade, we saw everything on the Radio Shack surveillance tape. We know it was you who stole the talismans. Give them back, and Captain Black may let you off. But this is very serious, I'll need to talk to your parents and. . ."  
  
"B-but Jackie. . ."  
  
Jackie glanced at his niece, who wore an incredibly startled expression on her face. Jade must be a better liar than he had thought. . .  
  
"I didn't steal anything!" she said, suddenly forceful. "I would never! Stealing is wrong!"  
  
"Oh?" snapped Jackie. "Then what did you call it when you took the animals out of Section 13? Or all the other times you took the talismans?"  
  
Jade sniffled and looked down at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Jackie, I just borrowed them those times, I'd never actually steal, and I didn't do it, I swear!"  
  
Jackie considered offering a retort, but noticed Jade wiping tears off her cheeks. He shifted uncomfortably and sighed. The thing was, Jade wasn't that good a liar. She was quite talented at sneaking around, and finding loopholes in all the promises she made, but if he confronted her, she would almost always confess. And she hardly ever cried, not to mention that he hadn't even thought Jade would resort to robbery in the first place. Something was definitely not adding up.  
  
"Jade. . ." he said tentatively, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Jade, I think I believe you, okay? But if you really did steal the talismans, you had better confess now, or you'll be in big trouble."  
  
"I d-didn't steal a-anything," she sniffled, and began to dry her eyes with her white sweater.  
  
"That's good. Now, we'll talk to Captain Black, and see if we can figure out what's going on. . ."  
  
But that wasn't necessary, because Captain Black came running up to them.  
  
"Jackie, when did Jade get out of the theater?"  
  
"About ten minutes ago, but you see-"  
  
"You were watching her the whole time?"  
  
"Yes, but-"  
  
"Listen. I've just gotten report from the U.S. Mint about a break-in. The culprit got out of the building five minutes ago, but we're fairly certain that this was our talisman thief."  
  
"That's great! So Jade couldn't have done it!"  
  
"Right. And there's been tougher security at the Mint since Valmont's break- in two years ago. The thief for some reason wasn't using all of the talismans, so she barely got out before she was caught. And we have surveillance tapes. . .I'm being sent the footage now frame by frame so we can get a clear view. It should be here in. . ." a tiny alarm rang from Captain Black's cell phone. He flipped open the lid, and there was a picture on screen.  
  
The picture showed a girl who was unmistakably Jade, holding a talisman in her palm that enabled her to use the super speeds that kept her from showing up on live action film. Each stop-action photograph displayed that she was filling her green backpack with bars of gold, but seemed to be struggling to carry it out. Jackie wondered why she didn't just use the ox. On cue, Jade took out the ox talisman and touched it to her bag. To Jackie's surprise, she didn't carry it- instead, she and the bag began to levitate above the ground, and she flew out. Security lasers began to fire at her, and she fired back several dragon-blast beams of light, using the sheep talisman. Then, she flew out the window.  
  
"That's all there is," noted Captain Black.  
  
"But. . .the talismans are all wrong. Jade, they're not supposed to be like that, right?" Jackie asked, knowing his niece to be something of an expert with the talismans.  
  
"Yeah, they're not. Y'know what? I bet when they were zapped by the floor, their powers got messed up. It happened before, that's how I was infused with them that time. That's probably why she isn't using them all- she hasn't finished figuring out which is which. But I want to know who she is! What a . . .a meanie! Stealing like that. I hope she'll be giving that money to people who really deserve it! And why does she want everyone to think I'm a thief?"  
  
Jackie chuckled at her remark about giving to the needy, but Jade looked confused, like she hadn't meant to be sarcastic. Captain Black only looked concerned.  
  
"Captain Black?" Jackie asked. "What about Chang? Could this be one of his clones?"  
  
The Section 13 Captain shook his head. "Both Chang and his alchemist have been in solitary since the clone incident. I don't think he'd be able to make any more. Of course, I'm no expert in magic, but Uncle said the arrangements would work out."  
  
"Uncle would know."  
  
Jade looked up at the mention of this phrase. "Uncle would know. We should ask him. Maybe he'll figure out what's wrong."  
  
Jackie nodded, thinking that this sounded like the best plan he could think of.  
  
"Alright, we'll ask Uncle."  
  
Author's Note~ Okay, so I lied. You don't find out whodunit in this chapter. I meant to, it just got longer than I expected, and it would require a scene shift. Too much effort. :p But I've given you a lot of clues. I'm sure you bright people can figure it out, I'm not even gonna bother trying to keep it secret. Just think if anything seemed a little. . .off to you, and there ya go. A free cookie to anyone who guesses correctly!  
  
Actually, it was fun to read all of your speculations for this chapter. But you all seemed so sure Jade couldn't have done it. I almost considered having her confess, just to spite you. Sure would've meant less work for me! But I didn't, because we're just moving into the interesting bit. Translation: We're getting to the point from which the story isn't mapped out anymore, and I'll just start pulling stuff out of thin air. Only I want to bring the J-Team in somehow.  
  
*Uncle impression* One more thing! Anyone see the new episode of Jackie Chan? ^_^ Been waiting for new eps forever, although it'll probably make this fic AU. And I'm a big Shadowkahn fan. I used to be on a basketball team where the uniforms were black and light blue, and we called ourselves Jade's Shadowkahn. Queen of the Shadowkahn is like my favorite episode. I'm just hoping will see a return of Jade's Shadowkahn powers ^_^.  
  
Only problem with the new episode- online guide promised that "The Dark Hand is together again." Okay, sorry, but in my book, the Dark Hand includes Valmont. He was a way better villain than a giant floating head. Ah, well, can't have everything in life. But I hope the demon head guy gets a little cooler, and we get more Valmont than last Season. (Although the Horse Ep was cool!)  
  
This Author's Note is getting long, so I'll finish up now. One last thing, ignore my beta reader's taunting notes in the reviews. She leads a sad deprived life and the only way she'll feel better is making other's feel small. (Lol @ Caily)  
  
Bye now! 


	7. Black & White

Author's Note~ *giggle* I like Uncle. "Jackie, stop horsing around!" Poor Jackie. . .if I had an uncle like that. . .I'm gonna try my best to write Uncle, but it's pretty hard.  
  
Chapter 7~ Black and White  
  
Jackie and Jade sat on the sofa in Uncle's shop, waiting in silence except for the ticking of the clock in the kitchen and the occasional crackling from outside announcing thunder. Jade swung her legs forward and back again into the front of the sofa, while Jackie watched his Uncle, pacing up and down the room in silence. He had just finished explaining everything that had happened the past two days.  
  
"Um, Uncle? Do you know-"  
  
"Quiet! Uncle must think!" the old man snapped, then returned to his pacing. Jackie sighed, having learned long ago that arguing with this man was pointless. After what seemed like an eternity, Uncle suddenly walked out of the room.  
  
"Tohru! Get ingredients for Clone Identifying Spell!"  
  
Jackie stood up and wandered into the back room of the shop, Uncle's spell and research headquarters.  
  
"But Uncle, Captain Black said that Chang is still safely behind bars."  
  
Uncle looked up from the potion he and Tohru were preparing to hit Jackie over the head. Jackie flinched, and Uncle snapped "More than one alchemist is capable of making clones!"  
  
"But how will we ever find the other Jade, if she is a clone?"  
  
Uncle looked at him as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "With a Tracking Spell!" He turned back to his potion, ignoring Jackie, who still looked confused.  
  
"It's a spell that's capable of finding Talismans that are being used," Tohru added helpfully. Jackie nodded, and decided to get out of the way of the potion making. He walked back into the kitchen, and Jade was still in the chair, twiddling her thumbs.  
  
"Don't you want to see what's going on in there?" Jackie asked incredulously. Jade looked up at him, tugging on the sleeve of her sweater childishly.  
  
"No, that's okay. Don't want to get in the way of Uncle. We gotta find the Jade imposter and make her stop."  
  
Jackie shrugged, and sat down next to her. "Are you alright, Jade?"  
  
Jade blinked her large brown eyes, and glanced up at him. "Yeah, I'm okay, Jackie," she smiled happily. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Jade shook his head, not exactly knowing the answer to her question. "You've just seemed. . .a bit strange lately. Come to think of it, ever since you woke up in the infirmary yesterday. Are you sure there's nothing bothering you?"  
  
"Not at all. In fact, I'm great! Maybe that's why I'm acting so different, I just feel like I'm in a good mood. Is there anything wrong with the way I'm acting?" she asked rather shyly.  
  
"Oh, no, you've been very good, I just wanted to make sure. . ."  
  
"I'm fine. Thank you for asking."  
  
"Um, no problem. . ."  
  
"Jackie!" Uncle threw open the door, holding a spiny puffer fish in his hand. It was glowing black and white. "The Spell has located the power of the Tiger Talisman," he whispered softly.  
  
"What? The tiger? Oh, I know what's going on," Jackie grinned. "The talismans have been switched, Uncle-"  
  
Uncle hit him over the head once again, and Jackie flinched once again. "Talisman locator locates power, not vessels! The power of the Tiger Talisman is being used in this very room." The elderly wizard allowed the force of the puffer-fish to guide his hands. It pointed automatically at Jade.  
  
"Wha- what? I'm not using the Tiger Talisman!" Jade wailed, looking alarmed.  
  
But suddenly everything had become very clear to Jackie, and he couldn't believe he hadn't though of this sooner. "Yes, you are," he said softly, pulling something out of his pants pocket that he had been carrying around since that morning. The fragmented horse talisman. "I bet the power of the Tiger was infused into the Horse Talisman. Jade broke it, and was split up. Her other half must have knocked her out, then stolen the remaining Talismans."  
  
Jade looked shocked and disbelieving at first, and Jackie couldn't blame her. He had been split just about every time he had gone near the stupid talisman, and every time it was unnerving. You really did believe that this was all you were and all that you had ever been. But Jade accepted it quickly, and then her expression changed to worry. "This is bad, Jackie. The talismans are really powerful, and she- I- we know how to work them better than anybody. Plus, we can't hurt the other me, can we?"  
  
"I don't think your parents would like that," Jackie grinned. "Uncle, can we try another locating spell?"  
  
Uncle shook his head. "Locating spell will not work. Only locates nearest power, and that's Tiger. We must research another spell!" Uncle left the room, and Tohru followed. Jackie raised an eyebrow at Jade, as if realizing something.  
  
"Jade, you'll know where Jade is."  
  
"I will?"  
  
Jackie nodded encouragingly. "Yes. She's your other half, after all. You just need to think- what would you do if you had almost unlimited power?"  
  
Jade held her jaw in her chin, and looked down, thinking. "Well, first off, feed the hungry. Then, maybe I'd get to work on the rainforest, since all the poor little animals don't have a home-"  
  
"Jade," Jackie interrupted, holding up a hand to tell her to stop. "What would you do if you had unlimited power before you were split in two?"  
  
"Oh! Well. . ." Jade began to think again, this one being a lot harder. "I guess we always wanted to show all our classmates that there was really such a thing as magic, even though I didn't think that was fair, they can be allowed to think what they wan- sorry," she smiled sheepishly, seeing Jackie waving his arms to tell her to get on with what she was saying.  
  
"We always really liked Moose World, and we never really got to go to the one here, 'cause Shendu was possessing us. . .maybe I'd like to try and become a superhero or something! Helping people is fun, and we've already got a name, remember? The Amazing T-girl!"  
  
Jackie frowned. Seemed unlikely that Jade's other half would think helping people was fun. They could try Moose World and Jade's classmates, but hopefully Uncle would be able to narrow it down.  
  
On cue, Uncle came out and ordered them all into the back room. He pointed to a map pinned to the wall. There were two glowing dots on the map- a white one located in Northern California, and a black one that was currently over mainland Asia, but seemed to be heading directly towards Tokyo, Japan.  
  
"Map shows the yin and yang counterparts of the Tiger talisman. Not best spell, but should be close."  
  
Jackie gave a fleeting glance at the black dot, traveling across the continent as quickly as a jet plane. "Jade? Do you know of anywhere your counterpart might go near Tokyo?"  
  
Jade gasped. "HHG!"  
  
Jackie looked confused. "Um, excuse me?"  
  
"It's the headquarters for Hope, Honor, & Glory. My favorite game! Or it was, now that I think about it, it's pretty mean. You have to fight all these other countries, and they never even did anything bad! Maybe they were just misunderstood. But anyways, they're releasing the Limited Edition Version 3 in Tokyo next week, and it won't come out in America for another couple months. She's probably going to try to get the game!"  
  
Jackie nodded, and turned to Uncle and Tohru. "We're going to Tokyo. I'll call Captain Black to arrange a flight. Bring any spells we'll need."  
  
"Um, Jackie?" asked Jade, tugging his leg, "am I staying with Captain Black?"  
  
"As much as I'd like to be able to leave you behind without worrying about you escaping for once, we need you there to be able to join you two together again."  
  
"Okay. Um, Jackie?"  
  
"Yes, Jade?"  
  
"I think we might need more than just spells. . .no offense."  
  
"What do we need, Jade?"  
  
"We need- if it's not too much trouble and they don't mind coming- the J Team."  
  
Author's Note~ Dun dun dun! Okay, I'm sorry for the awful chapter, truly I am. But I'm really tired. *yawn*  
  
Cookies go to...Finn. I'm fairly sure Finn got it, way to go, but Finn had already earned a cookie because I forgot to mention the video game thing. Yes, you are very right Jackie would not approve of violent video games. And these are really violent video games I'm talking about. Normal Jade might even be squicked out, but Tiger Jade just thinks they're cool.  
  
Cookies also go to Bri- You got it! Hooray!  
  
And a half-cookie to ShadowElfBard- you got the whole 'it's a talisman dividing Jade into good and evil' thing, but you made it waaay to complicated. We don't need sheep evil dream Jade explanations, 'cause we already have the Tiger for that. ^_^ And no, no Daolon Wong. I'm not much of a fan- he isn't really an interesting villain. I'd take the Dark Hand any day.  
  
Hey! I like Scruffy! Okay, the name has got to go. I wanted Jade to name him Indy. It would've been perfect, 'cause Jackie's an archaeologist! ^_^ But I do admit the entire 'The stray will be the noble dog and it'll make friends with Jade' was predictable. And it's a bit weird, how it's like Scruffy doesn't even EXIST until he's a big part of an episode's plot. Like, he goes away until that episode where Jade frees all the animals. But I love dogs, and I always wondered what the hell happened to Ruby, so I'm glad Jade has a pet that'll stick around. Ah, well, you don't like Scruffy/Indy? Your loss. I promise he's not in this fanfiction.  
  
But after seeing today's episode, I gotta admit, Scruffy's getting a bit corny. But I was relieved they didn't have demon-mask Scruffy suddenly remember that he loves Jade and turn good.  
  
But thanks for reviewing, even if I have no taste. Later! ^_~  
  
Ah, one last thing- a lot of you seem to have gotten the impression that I'm threatening to end this fic. I actually don't know where that came from. . .enlighten me anyone? I'm not threatening to end it. It's still the beginning, and I pride myself in never abandoning a fic and rarely even taking longer than two weeks to update. This week isn't my fault, ff.net was down! Lol.  
  
Finn- No enforcers??? I would die!  
  
My hatred for Tarakudo or whatever grows each second. I wish he would stop punning. I HATE it when bad guys spout off puns. Only Jade's allowed to be punny. 


	8. Tokyo

Chapter 8~ Tokyo  
  
"Attention Passengers, we will begin our descent into Tokyo Japan now. Local time is 2:51 am, and we should be arriving at the gate shortly after 3:00."  
  
Jackie glanced up from an article on recent findings in India in "National Geographic" to nudge his niece who was fast asleep on his seat rest.  
  
"Jade," he whispered, pushing her over a bit. She moaned slightly and yawned, opening her eyes.  
  
"What happened?" she mumbled sleepily.  
  
"We're almost to Tokyo."  
  
Jade looked out the window, but the sky was still completely dark, with the glimmer of many bright lights in the distance. "'S all dark still."  
  
Jackie nodded. "It's only 3:00 here. In the morning. But it's nearly 10am back home."  
  
"Oh," said Jade, stretching and waking herself up a bit. "You called the J- Team, right?"  
  
Jackie nodded, and pulled out several folded papers from a small tan backpack, information that had to be e-mailed to Jade's older laptop due to the fact that uncle had smashed the fax machine.  
  
"They're meeting us in the airport," he explained to Jade. "This has their flight information. It's a longer flight for them, so it may take awhile, but Uncle's map shows that your other half hasn't reached Tokyo yet. I checked while you were sleeping."  
  
Jade looked around for her uncle and her friend Tohru, but Jackie motioned towards the front of the plane. Uncle had thrown such a fit about the conditions in coach that the distressed flight attendant moved the two of them to available seats in first class.  
  
About 10 minutes later, the dark blur below them became a long landing strip. The plane landed roughly, bumping against the ground, and then sped into the Tokyo International Airport. They came to a stop, but there seemed to be trouble with the gate, so there was another half-hour of waiting before they were finally allowed to depart.  
  
Jackie opened the overhead bin and grabbed his and Jade's suitcases, then began to walk along the slow moving congregation of people trying to exit the plane, wheeling the suitcases behind him and wearing one strap of the backpack over his shoulder. Jade followed behind him silently, choosing to behave as a shadow instead of her normally exuberant self.  
  
They met Uncle and Tohru inside the waiting area for their gate. Tohru was carrying Uncle's enormous duffel bags holding his spell ingredients and the necessary four or five tomes. In his other hand was a small bag carrying his and Uncle's clothes and other possessions. Uncle, on the other hand, was holding several of his other massive books, apparently a bit of in- flight reading. He handed these too to Tohru and turned on Jackie.  
  
"Jackie! What kind of lousy seats did you buy for your uncle? There was no room to sleep or research, and flight attendants don't even hand out peanuts!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Uncle," said Jackie defensively, "There aren't many better seats available than first class. . ."  
  
Jade, meanwhile, was helping Tohru unload some of his burden by taking the lighter of Uncle's duffel bags and some of his books.  
  
"So you've finally arrived," said a voice behind them. Jackie turned around to see a smiling, dark haired woman a few years younger than him, dressed in a pale pink sweater and black trouser pants.  
  
"Viper," Jade grinned happily, and Jackie smiled despite himself. Viper had always been Jade's hero, and she seemed to be a hero even to this strange form of Jade. But although Jackie had to admit to being slightly jealous, he didn't mind so much now that he found himself inclined to liking Viper as well.  
  
"How long can you have been waiting for us?" Jackie wondered aloud. "After all, New York is a good three hours from San Fransisco, at the very least."  
  
Viper grinned "A few hours. I wasn't in New York when you E-mailed me, I was on vacation in Hawaii." Viper proceeded to drop her bags down with Tohru, give Jade a hug, although looking very perplexed as to how unusually friendly Jade was being, and kiss Jackie on the cheek, the his niece's glee and his embarrassment.  
  
"I took the liberty of checking us in at the hotel. Nice place," she grinned, in that mysterious way of grinning she had. "We should stop in, since it'll probably be a bit before the rest get in, and it'll take up a good deal of time. The airports pretty far away from the actual city."  
  
Jackie agreed, and so Viper, Tohru, and the Chans took a cab to the actual city. Although it was early, there was already terrible traffic, and Viper hadn't been kidding about the Airport being a long ways off from downtown Tokyo, where the hotel was. Jackie wasn't exactly enjoying the cramped quarters.  
  
The van was advertised to hold six people, but the advertisers hadn't been counting on someone Tohru's size. Jackie was stuck between the sumo on his left, and Viper on his right. The latter he didn't mind so much. It was kind of funny, since he had expected Jade to want to sit next to him as she'd been doing to entire trip, but when they were loading into the car she gave a quick glance over at Jackie and Viper, then proceeded to situate herself in the back, next to Uncle.  
  
Under ordinary circumstances Jackie would've been hurt, but this Jade was completely unselfish. She must've been trying to make sure nobody had to sit next to Uncle, Jackie grinned. Uncle hadn't stopped complaining about the traffic, the cramped car, the cabbies driving style, and anything else he could find since he got there. Jackie knew his Uncle liked complaining, but travel seemed to bring out the worst in the elderly Chi Wizard.  
  
Finally, they arrived at their Hotel, the Radisson Miyako situated downtown. Jackie had been to Tokyo before, but he didn't remember traffic being as bad as this. It was 4:30am, after all. Jackie realized that they would have to drop off their stuff and get on the road again if there was any hope of getting back to NRT in time for El Torro's 6:00 arrival. So it was straight back into the vans.  
  
This time the seating had been configured a little differently by Jade, who insisted on sitting next to Tohru since she was smallest, and having Uncle on her other side, since he got carsick in the back. Now Jackie and Viper were put in the back together, and Jackie began to get the suspicion that this wasn't a coincidence. At least there was more room without the luggage, so Jackie was no longer being pressed up against Viper for the entire ride. That had been rather awkward.  
  
The traffic was worse this time, so The Chans, Viper, and Tohru didn't get back to the airport until 6:20. El Torro was already waiting in an airport café, along with Paco who was drinking Hot Chocolate. He smiled and waved when he saw Jade, and to his surprise, she actually looked pleased to see him in return. Seeing as they were all tired, they decided to sit down in the café for a bit and order drinks.  
  
For once, Jade didn't complain about Jackie's rather strict no caffeine policy, and Jackie decided that in this case Jade should be allowed a little bit to keep her awake. Uncle, on the other hand, did complain- his original coffee was too strong, so the woman at the counter put cream. Then, it was too creamy, so he insisted on another one being made. That was too watery, and yet another coffee had to be made for him.  
  
When the now frazzled woman handed him the current coffee, Uncle had proclaimed it too hot, and finally decided that it was the entire café that was low quality. Now he sat, taking occasional sips and then glaring at the cup. Travel really did bring out the worst in Uncle, sighed Jackie to himself.  
  
Finally, El Torro leaned over his cup of coffee and said to Jackie "You know I am always glad to help, amigo, but what did you call us down here to do?"  
  
Viper grinned over her double latte. "I was wondering that one myself. Usually your summons involve some sort of crazy demon, clone, or paper folding man."  
  
Jackie allowed a half grin to cross his face. "This time the culprit is far more dangerous- they stole all twelve talismans from the vault- excepting the power of the Tiger. We have half of that one."  
  
"They stole the talismans?" said Viper, shocked, thinking about how hard it would be to track someone that was invisible.  
  
"All of them?" added El Torro, thinking about how hard it would be to fight someone who had ox strength. "Who did this!" he demanded.  
  
"Jade," said Jackie simply, watching the looks of confusion he received from across the table.  
  
"But Jade's right here," Viper said, voicing the thoughts of the others that hadn't been present in Uncle's shop the previous night.  
  
Jade shook her head. "Not me, the other half! See, the Tiger Talisman divides people into their good half and bad half. I'm the good half, and my bad half is going to try to steal the Limited Edition version of HHG tomorrow!" Jade said ferverently, wanting to make her innocence known.  
  
Paco gasped. "That's my favorite game!"  
  
Jade grinned. "Mine too!"  
  
Viper and El Torro still looked a bit lost.  
  
"Wait," said Viper, "So. . .there's another Jade running around, and both Jade's are only halves? And this is Jade's good half?"  
  
Jackie nodded. "I know. Jade has a good half," he chuckled. "I was surprised myself. But the Asakusa Gaming Company won't have the first version of the game finished until today around noon, so we have a few hours to rest at the hotel."  
  
Since the traffic showed no signs of relenting, and their were few cabs that had enough room for all seven of them including the heavyset Tohru and El Torro plus luggage for Paco and El Torro, they decided to take the metro. Comparatively, the Tokyo metro is nice, although rather crowded already. Still, they were able to find a spot where Uncle could sit down, and even he stopped complaining for the time being.  
  
Again, Jade left Jackie and Viper together, although this time it was because she was talking to Paco. Since the Tokyo Metro was incredibly confusing, Jackie assumed they'd be there awhile and watched the two of them, avoiding eye contact with Viper standing next to him.  
  
"Don't worry, Yade," Paco said confidently. "We will stop your evil other half from stealing advance copies of HHG. It isn't fair that she get them first when we do not!"  
  
Jade nodded and smiled politely. "Well, it's also because we're afraid she might hurt people when she steals."  
  
Paco considered the validity of this statement. "Of course! But we will not let her hurt people, either."  
  
Jade nodded. "I know! That's why I had Jackie invite the J-Team. That way, we can win, even if she does have talismans."  
  
Paco agreed quickly, a sort of sly look on his face. "Of course they J-Team will win. Especially El Torro."  
  
Jade smiled brightly at the boy. "Of course! After all, I've seen El Torro wrestler before! He's pretty good!"  
  
"El Torro is the greatest!" Paco said passionately.  
  
"I'll bet he is," concurred Jade.  
  
Paco began to look frustrated, as though Jade was missing something vital. "But. . .El Torro is even greater than your mouse man, Jackie."  
  
Jade shrugged. "They both have their strong points."  
  
Paco looked really upset now. "No! El Torro is much greater than Jackie!"  
  
"Okay," said Jade. "If you say so."  
  
"You aren't supposed to say that!"  
  
"What should I say?" asked Jade innocently.  
  
"You- I- " Paco looked stumped, so he got up and walked over to sit with his mentor. Jade watched as he left, then shrugged and looked out the window at the stations whizzing by.  
  
Author's Note~ Raise hands if you thought this chapter evil! I certainly did. Basically, I could've said "The J-Team arrived in Tokyo. Jackie explained about Jade" and then actually included some of the plot. But instead I need to use this chapter to set up my favorite ship as display my *coughlackofcough* knowledge of Tokyo. And I kinda wanted to write the Jade and Paco scene at the end.  
  
LG- No, I will not have Rowan. Rowan is used enough in other fics under his other name *grin* As for Rosalin, yes, she a character in the game, back she doesn't have a live appearance. Fen will probably be there, though, as well as Failaing.  
  
ShadowElfBard- Why would you think I'd know how to spell O'nee? *lol* I am the typo quen, in case you haven't noticed. I don't think you realize how much I would love to see the Q of the S brought back. Been hoping to see that since the start of the season. But wasn't muscular Jade scary? I had no idea the Ox could function as a steroid.  
  
You (You@yoursite.com)- Wow! Thanks! Since you're on the early chapters you probably won't read this note, but hey!  
  
VampireNaomi- I feel your pain. Are you seriously still on the magisters? Ah, well, there's only about 5 episodes to Scruffy's debut. Then you'll have some inkling of what's going on! I won't discuss Tarekudo anymore, except to tell you that I have never seen anything less like a frog.  
  
Danny- Is that so? I wasn't aware that Japanese demons were more punny than the rest. *shrug* Sorry, but give me Shendu and his siblings any day. Ah, yes, Jackie could combine the two halves. . .just one problem. Tiger Jade has the other half, and she won't be too keen on rejoining her lighter half. No, I wouldn't want to be at a Jade showdown, but I don't have many doubts about who would win. Evil Jade has all twelve talismans in her arsenal.  
  
I'm in a good mood because I finally figured out where this fic is going. I like it, too. It's long, it's now looking to be about. . .9 chapters more than I expected it to end up, making about 23 chapters in all. And that's assuming that the conclusion will take one chapter. O_o. . .well, there goes any hope of free time for the next few months. 


	9. Hope, Honor, & Glory

Chapter 9~ Hope, Honor, & Glory  
  
The J-Team arrived the next day at the Asakusa Gaming Company. The sun was shining brightly now, a contrast to the dull colors of the night before. Everyone's eyes drooped from lack of sleep, with the exception of Viper, who was apparently used to it. The bright sun was irritating to Jackie, who really just wanted to go back to bed. They hadn't arrived back at the hotel until 7:30, and although he had been tired, when he closed his eyes he couldn't sleep.  
  
Probably the caffeine and the drastic time change combined with his apprehensions, but he had a feeling of foreboding that he shrugged off as ridiculous. After all, how much lower than his expectations could the meeting with Jade's other half get? He yawned, noticing a grin on Viper's face as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Jackie stopped yawning and checked his watch, then remembered it was still set to San Francisco time. He adjusted the knob on top and then read it again, a slight glare shining off the durable face. 11:47. They had walked here from the hotel at about 11, and arrived shortly before 11:30. Although the game wasn't due to have finished the final tests until noon, already a large crowd had been growing around the building, mostly children Jade's age and older. Jackie hadn't expected anyone else to be there, seeing as the game wouldn't be released until later. But according to Jade, with the special edition versions, they allow a demo game for the first 50 kids to show up at the Headquarters.  
  
Apparently Jackie's watch was off, because a company representative in a crisp business suit opened the door. Children began to flock inside while their parents handed over the appropriate amount of yen. The representative looked at Jade and Paco, his eyes glancing over the older members of the J- Team with a quick smile.  
  
"Konnichiwa. Agatte kudasai!"  
  
He must have caught the confused look on Jade and Paco's faces, because he laughed and spoke in only slightly accented English to them. "Good afternoon! Please come in," he beckoned to them warmly, and rather tentatively they began to step inside. Jackie made to follow, but he was waved way. "We accept American dollars if you wish, the price is about $15 dollars per child, or 1,300 yen." Jackie frowned at the poor exchange rate, but quickly counted the J-Team.  
  
"Um. . .do you accept credit cards? I only have $50 with me. . ."  
  
The man shook his head, smiling again congenially as people behind Jackie began to get upset. "Only $30. Must be under 16 for the demo."  
  
"But I'd like to go in with my niece and-" Jackie said desperately, knowing the adults of the J-Team would be needed in case of robbery.  
  
"Sorry, under 16 only," interrupted the man, ushering Jade and Paco inside and shooing Jackie away. Jackie sighed and faced the team as the two children disappeared.  
  
"We have to get in there. Jade and Paco couldn't handle Jade by themselves." He didn't bother thinking about how strange that sentence sounded. "Viper, breaking and entering is your specialty-" Viper opened her mouth to protest that she had gone legit, but Jackie waved her complaint aside. "Everyone else, stay outside. Watch for Jade. If she shows up, come find us. . .somehow."  
  
~*~  
  
"Ow!" whispered Viper angrily.  
  
"Sorry," muttered Jackie, removing his foot from hers. She glared at him, rubbing the toes poking out from her sandals. He grasped the wall of the building, thinking that it wasn't his fault he had lost his balance jumping up from the ledge, and she had stomped all over his fingers when he gave her a boost up. But he didn't say anything, because Viper was currently peering down the skylight of one of the Asakusa Company's skylights.  
  
"Finally. This one's deserted," she grinned, then opened her purse, pulling some tools out and removing the glace panel with them. She glanced over at Jackie, who was watching quizzically. "Can't hurt to be prepared," she whispered, as if reading his mind. The two of them silently dropped into the empty office and crept out the door into a dark hallway. They could hear children's voices from somewhere below, so they climbed down the stairs into the lit part of the building, now looking warily around. All the noise seemed to be coming from one room, behind a white door. There was no window looking into the room, so Jackie was unsure how to tell if either of his nieces was in there.  
  
"C'mon," Viper whispered, and they slowly walked out of the stairwell to get nearer to the door, even though it was unclear how that would solve their problems. Suddenly, the door swung open, leaving Jackie and Viper exposed to the occupants of the room within.  
  
There were many children inside, all sitting at a monitor and rapidly punching buttons on a game consol. Jade and Paco were sitting next to each other. And behind them, Uncle, Tohru, and El Torro.  
  
"Hello, Jackie!" Uncle waved.  
  
Jackie stared at them. "How did you get in?"  
  
El Torro shrugged. "Apparently they only minded adults while they were still setting the children with the game. They opened the doors to us a few minutes after you left."  
  
"Oh," was the only thing Jackie could say. He glanced at Viper, who looked equally displeased. "So, um, no sign of Jade?"  
  
"Nope," said Paco, staring mesmerized at the screen. Jackie glanced over, and saw that Paco was doing fairly well, assuming he was the man hurling fireballs. If he was one of the people trapped in cages, then not so good. Judging from the look at Paco's face, he was trapped in a cage.  
  
Or, he was the red haired man who was conjuring water but somehow losing. That didn't make a lot of sense to Jackie, seeing as water should beat fire. But the writing below the animated figures showed that the fire man was "Pyralis-Fire & Metal Master" whereas the water man was "Moar- All Elements Adept." Maybe that had something to do with it.  
  
Jackie glanced over at Jade, who was playing the same game, but at a different point. She was playing a red haired woman who wasn't actually fighting anyone, but instead talking to two people in robes. Jade noticed him watching, and looked back.  
  
"I'm playing Queen Rosalin, she's my favorite. Rowan, too, but you can't play him. I also like playing Queen Fen, but not as much. I don't like the fighting parts in the game, like when Pyralis kidnaps you and stuff. Only when you do stuff like talk with the envoys or with Rowan. And when Sienna died, that was so sad! But the special edition is really great! It has a new country called Kasimir, and new people you can play, too. But I don't like the emperor very much. He seems mean. Maybe he'll get nicer," she said all in one breath. "Want a turn?"  
  
"No, I'll just-"  
  
The entire building's foundations seemed to shake as a tremendous golden light blasted into the room from the wall to the outside. Jade fell off her chair, as did many others, and the screens all around went blank.  
  
The blinding light passed, but the wall that had separated the room from outside had been reduced to a heap of rubble, and the light of the sun, was nearly as blinding. In the midst of the rubble was a very small figure, holding a talisman in her hand, looking rather ridiculous dressed in all leather and with sunglasses too big for her small face.  
  
"Jackie," said Uncle calmly, "Jade is here."  
  
Jade looked at them, then deftly removed the sunglasses and looked again. This time, she appeared to notice them- apparently the sunglasses had been too shaded to see indoors.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she remarked, in such a tone that, if he didn't know better, Jackie would've sworn she was all of Jade. She wasn't grinning, but she didn't look upset at seeing them either, only curious.  
  
Jackie grinned at her. "Your other half knew you'd come."  
  
Jade raised an eyebrow. "My other- gah!" she suddenly noticed Jade lying on the floor, grinning and waving. "You mean the tiger. . .ha! No wonder I've been feeling so good, without her along!" She laughed again, and her other half pouted, standing up and smoothing the wrinkles out of her white sundress. "You haven't been acting very good, Jade. We have to rejoin now."  
  
Jade blinked. "Hell no."  
  
Jackie sighed, having anticipated how hard this was going to be. "Jade, you might as well give up. We'll find you again. Uncle has a map, and as soon as we saw you were going to Asia, Jade- the other Jade- knew you would come here. She knows your intentions."  
  
Jade suddenly burst out laughing, and grasped the remnants of the wall for support. "You guys actually thought I'd come all the way to Asia for some dumb video game? No way! I mean, sure, I stopped off here when I had the time, but I have more important things to deal with."  
  
Jackie raised his eyebrow. "Such as. . ." He wasn't sure he wanted to know.  
  
"Such as picking up a couple things off the Recommended Reading List," Jade grinned, waving a parchment torn out of one of Uncle's books. "Actually, that's why I'm glad you're here. I can read the spells, but I've got no clue as to what they're supposed to do. I thought you guys could help translate. They're Chinese characters, but they don't really mean anything."  
  
Jackie grinned slyly. "How about I help translate. . .after you two rejoin?"  
  
Jade's brows furrowed, and she lost her grin. "How 'bout you help translate. . .and I don't turn you all into Dragon Blast?"  
  
"That could work too," admitted Jackie, trying to think of a plan. "Um, what did you want translated?"  
  
Jade gave him a suspicious eye, remembering a similar incident where he had tricked her. She took out a large tan bag that looked like it must weigh a ton- but Jade had no problem carrying it. She pulled out a small, dusty blue book with strange inscriptions on the front. Uncle turned pale. Jade flipped to a random page.  
  
"No, don't read-" shouted Uncle, but Jade ignored him. "See, it says here 'Guanfang Daimen'. . .I have no idea what that means, and look! It doesn't do anything!"  
  
"Aaiiyaa!" Uncle shouted, then ran up and snatched the book out of Jade's hands. She was too surprised to react, even when he began shaking and glaring at her like evil incarnate, which she technically was.  
  
"What?" snapped Jade angrily. "It didn't work! Absolutely nothing happened! I think someone's getting senile."  
  
"Uncle is not senile! You have just released a great evil!"  
  
"I what?" asked Jade, in a tone to convey her annoyance and belief that Uncle had lost his mind.  
  
"She what?!" shouted Jackie, deciding to reinsert himself into the conversation. "What evil did she release?"  
  
"She has released the eight demon siblings," Uncle whispered in a conspirational tone.  
  
Jackie's jaw dropped. "She. . .opened. . .holy shit."  
  
Author's Note~ Do you know how much I hate computers? Last year, this huge virus ate my entire system and I had to start over with a new hard drive. So every little computer glitch plays to my virus paranoia. Example? Today I open Microsoft Word, and it's gone all screwy. Basically, I couldn't open most documents, and when I could, there was no text, just little grey lines. Damn, that freaked me out. Especially since I hadn't backed up several fanfiction things (including this story) and my important biology and speech papers O_o. Praying hard, I put in a floppy and backed up the damaged copies, hoping they'd work on a normal computer instead of spreading an evil Microsoft Word virus. But it turned out unnecessary, because when I restarted all was well. *whew* Except that it messed with my settings, meaning that Satan's messenger, the Microsoft Office Assistant, is no longer hidden. Smiley paperclips. How scary is that?  
  
I apologize for the inside jokes of this chapter! (Hope Honor & Glory is a really awesome RPG I play at, so only my fellow geeks LG and Spooji know who the hell these people are. Rosalin & Rowan belong to me, Fen to Kumo who doesn't read this story, Moar to Spooji, Pyralis to Rosecat who also doesn't read, and the whole damned site belongs to the very cool Michelle Adranth. Who also doesn't read. Nevertheless, consider HHG disclaimed.)  
  
One last rant- why are they showing reruns? Where are my new Shadowkahn episodes? I get home from a long morning of PSATs, and the least that could be done for me is a nice new Jackie Chan. But nooooo. . .  
  
Wow! This Author's Note is short! *cough relatively cough*  
  
This chapter sponsored by Elliott, the adorable little rodent that is sitting in my lap as I type. ^_^.  
  
Bye! *waves*  
  
P.S. Before anyone brings it up, I am aware the portals cannot be re-opened and have prepared a counter-argument in the next chapter because I want them to be open and I am the omnipotent author. 


	10. The New Evil

Chapter 10~ The New Evil  
  
Jackie blushed and cleared his throat, well aware of the smirk on one Jade's face and the shock on the other's. He turned to Uncle very quickly, eager to question the old man's statement.  
  
"What do you mean? I thought that once the portals were sealed, they couldn't be opened again."  
  
Uncle shook his head solemnly. "Portals cannot be opened, but your niece has just recited a spell from a book that predates even Shendu. It is a book that I have thought was lost to the ages. The spell she recited was one that was the inspiration to Shendu's vanquisher Lo Pei- one that breaks the boundary dividing our world from the demon world."  
  
"So. . ." said Jackie slowly, "it's like a portal, except all of them can pass through?"  
  
Uncle nodded. "Anything can travel between the two realms, including demons and Shendu's dragon minions. And we can travel to their realm, as well."  
  
"Like we would want to," muttered the black clad Jade. She had been there before, and she hadn't liked it.  
  
"Sensei, where is this portal located?" asked Tohru.  
  
"I don't know," answered Uncle slowly. "No documentation of spell being activated before, although it is said that it was what originally allowed demons' ancestors to come to our world. But once the demons have been released, they will return to the lands where they once held dominion."  
  
Jackie sighed deeply and looked around at those surrounding him.  
  
"Alright, you all know what a bad situation this is. We have eight demons to fight-"  
  
"Seven," said the Jade sitting near Jackie softly. Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Seven?"  
  
The white-clad Jade nodded slowly. "Uh-huh. Shendu is still a statue, and still locked in Section 13."  
  
Jackie grinned, at least this was a bit of good news. "Okay, we'll have to make sure it stays that way. I'll call Captain Black. Uncle and Tohru will need to return to San Francisco with the children and try to find a way to fix this. Everyone else, we need to try to stall the demons as long as we can. First-"  
  
Leather Jade laughed derisively. "I certainly hope you weren't referring to me as one of the children, Jackie, because I'm not going to San Francisco."  
  
Jackie looked at her searchingly, as if trying to reach a decision. Finally, he said "We need you to help us fight, Jade. You have the talismans. So no, you aren't going to San Francisco."  
  
"No. I'm not helping. I have better things to do than getting bossed around by my uncle," she said defiantly.  
  
"But Jade," Viper said softly, "this is so much better. Think about it. You could fight a bunch of mortals who don't stand a chance, or you could go up against some worthy opponents- seven demons."  
  
Jade did pause to think about this, and finally nodded, convinced. "Fine, I'll help you, but don't even think about getting me to rejoin with boring Jade."  
  
Jackie sighed, sensing that there would be no room for compromise. At least for the moment. "Alright, Jade, you don't have to rejoin."  
  
The members of the J-Team left the building out of the gaping hole in the wall. It occurred to Jackie that they were being stared at by myriad little children, who were gaping wide-eyed and speechless at the group.  
  
~*~  
  
Jackie settled comfortably into his large cushioned seat. Captain Black needed to pull some strings, but he had managed to secure eight seats on the next flight to San Francisco. Jackie had thought first class a nice touch, although he was a bit too anxious to appreciate the leg room or better food. It had been hard enough getting Jade to come with them without her complaining about flying coach. Jackie didn't want her calling attention to herself any more than necessary, as they didn't need demon attention. But he had to admit that it was rather convenient of Jade to apply the power of the rabbit to the metro. . .  
  
"Whatcha thinking about, baby face?" asked Viper next to him. She had been staring out the window, but they had left the last islands of Asia behind awhile ago, and the Pacific really didn't change much from east to west.  
  
"Nothing really," said Jackie quietly. Actually, he'd been thinking of quite a lot over the course of the flight, but nothing that seemed worth rehashing.  
  
"Funny, somehow I've never thought of you as the stereotypical afraid of sharing his feelings male," said Viper sardonically. "It doesn't suit you."  
  
"It just isn't important," defended Jackie.  
  
"Aww, come on. You can tell me," teased Viper leaning towards him defiantly. There was a strange little pause for a second in their conversation before Jackie pushed her away quite firmly.  
  
"I told you it isn't important," he said, then picked up that awful Sky Magazine and began flipping through it, feigning interest in the review of a hotel in Boston. Viper turned back to the window, looking half annoyed and half hurt.  
  
"Alright, I won't be bothering you then," she said, and looked boredly over the water shielded with clouds. Jackie stole a glance over his Sky Magazine, but then turned back to the article quickly. It really was the most boring thing he had ever read, so he closed the magazine and turned to his right.  
  
Jade was sitting next to him, watching the in-flight movie contentedly. Across the aisle, El Torro seemed to be asleep, and he was alarmed to see Paco quivering against him while Jade, at the other window, held his shirt collar tightly.  
  
"Say it. . ." she whispered threateningly. Paco whimpered. "Okay, Yade-" Jade's eyes narrowed. "I mean J-Jade is the greatest!" Jade nodded, satisfied, and began playing a Gameboy that looked suspiciously like Paco's. Behind him, Uncle and Tohru seemed to be pouring over the books Jade had brought back. Jackie considered offering help, but realized that he wouldn't know what to look for. So he turned reluctantly back to his Sky Magazine.  
  
Jackie was into an article on the Mediterranean and was actually starting to enjoy it, when a huge jolt shook the plane, causing Viper's Ginger Ale to spill down his front.  
  
"Sorry," she said quickly and grabbed the tiny napkin her drink had been resting on and leaned over to mop him up. Another, stronger jolt shook the plane, and they both lost their balance, she landing with her elbow shoved into his stomach and he falling over her slouched figure. They quickly disentangled themselves as the Captain's voice came over the intercom, in Japanese first and then English.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are experiencing some unexpected turbulence. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened. We're having some difficulty coordinating with Weather Control, so we may need to make an unexpected water landing. Please review the safety protocol in your seat back pocket, and do not be alarmed. Thank you."  
  
The intercom shut off, and people around the plane looked around and began talking rapidly with their neighbours. Viper turned to Jackie, lips pursed. "You don't think it has anything to do with-"  
  
"We'd better hope not," he responded darkly. Jackie glanced around at the J- Team. Both Jades and Paco were watching him curiously. El Torro had woken up and looked at him as well, as though he was waiting for some sort of instruction. Of course, it was hard to tell with the mask. Tohru behind them was frowning, only Uncle was still working on reading the books. Jackie was watching the other passengers now, mainly comprised of commuting businessmen and women, but also a few families perhaps going on vacation or visiting relatives. He hoped this wasn't the work of demons.  
  
Suddenly, another jolt threw the plane, this time causing a black out and provoking several passengers' screams. "Ladies and Gentlemen, do not be alarmed," said the intercom. "We are merely experiencing some tech-"  
  
The intercom shut off with a click and without warning the force of gravity seemed to vanish inside as the plane plummeted into the ocean far below.  
  
Author's Note~ Y'know, I like this chapter. There they are, riding along in the plane, just having a nice, peaceful time, a few shippy moments, and then BAM. Cliffhanger. ^_^  
  
Oh, VampireNaomi, who doesn't hate the Microsoft Office Assistant? Evil little thing. I found this great game on I think addictinggames.com or bored.com, where the object is to kill the satanic paperclip. *grin*  
  
ShadowElfBard- Thanks! Well, Jade is more mischievous than evil, but she can be evil if she wants to. Basically, for her it isn't about, like it was for Jackie, money or power, she just wants to have fun. And Jade's version of fun has always been a little skewered.  
  
Jesboat- *cough* Yes, the other demo-ing people were still there, they were just very speechless. For a long time. As for Jackie, give him a break. He can't be perfect all the time. Haven't you ever accidentally cursed when you really shouldn't have just because you got a big shock or you dropped something heavy on your toe? Trust me, this was a big surprise. Plus, the prospect of Jackie cursing is just too funny to pass up.  
  
Now, unrelated topics. Awww, the Halloween episode was sooo cute! I felt so bad for Paco. And Tohru as a Bumblebee. . .*shudder* And El Torro removed his mask! *grin*  
  
Speaking of this episode, the other night was Halloween and I went trick-or- treating, operating on the philosophy that you are never too old to walk around in the dark and make people give you candy. Of course, after awhile I had the bright idea to include in my candy gathering a very informative and enlightening poll. The results are as follows:  
  
Only 23% of people will indeed give you an onion along with your candy if you explain that you are on a special diet. 77%, logically, will say no, but 29% of the refusers didn't actually say they didn't have or wouldn't give an onion, they just refused out of sheer disbelief. And 19% of those who responded no were freaking liars, as we could smell a strong scent of onions in their homes.  
  
It is interesting to review the results of this poll. How lucky for Jackie that El Torro happened to call upon one of the benign 23%! Imagine if the person he encountered said no, or laughed in disbelief. . .or worse, lied, putting Jackie in a precarious position! El Torro may have been forced to use violence, and violence not against the 'bad guys.' It's okay to be horrible to bad guys and even mail them to Mexico, but not innocent passer- by! However, I have a strong suspicious that these weren't innocents, but O'nee sympathizers. *g-asp!*  
  
Heh, who liked our first glimpse of Valmont this season? Hey, I thought he was in jail! *snerk* The screen names were priceless. Chantastic4, Finnhalen, and FilthyRich1, lol. And Uncle's obsession with buying and selling antiques over Jade's "magic waffle iron," heh.  
  
Well, we'd better hope I get lotsa reviews, don't we, or I might be tempted to end with "Nobody survived the plane crash. Demons killed Captain Black and ruled the world. The End." 


	11. Demon Sighting

Chapter 11 ~ Demon Sighting  
  
As the plane fell, the cabin was filled with piercing screams. Jackie grasped tightly onto his niece next to him and he could feel Viper holding onto his arm. Huge thumps rocked the plane as if they were being slapped with monstrous waves, but most passengers didn't have time to worry about that. Suddenly, there was a wrenching impact. Jackie could see only darkness and he struggled to keep a hold on his niece and the ex-thief but the last thing he could remember was being torn away from them. Then all was black.  
  
"Jaaaaaaaackieeeeee," came a shrill, faraway voice. Jackie sighed, knowing it was his uncle telling him to get up. Jackie didn't want to get up. He felt so peaceful and calm, drifting in this nothingness. "Jackie!" the voice said sharply. Uncle's head appeared floating over Jackie.  
  
"Hello, Uncle," he said blissfully. Uncle hit him over the head.  
  
"Jackie! You are very lazy! The J-Team is in danger."  
  
"I like the J-Team," Jackie said sleepily. "Especially Jade. And Vi-"  
  
"Jackie!" shouted Uncle, hitting him over the head again, "Wake up!"  
  
Jackie started to attention, and suddenly found himself surrounding in bitingly cold, inky black water. His lungs burned with want of air, his mouth was full of the taste of salt, and his body ached with pain and cold. He wanted to get out of this, but he had lost all sense of direction. A strange glitter caught his attention and he swam frantically towards it, hoping it was sunlight and not a shiny fish.  
  
The nearer he got, the more he could see that he was indeed near the surface. The water was lighter, and he could make out the dark shadows of the plane wreckage above him. Finally, he was able to clutch a large piece of the wing, and struggling he pulled his body out from the salty water. He clung to his makeshift raft, heaving for air, feeling the warm sun on his back. But this relaxation didn't last long.  
  
Jackie realized he was alone. Where were the other passengers on the plane? Where were his family and the J-Team, his friends? The answer seemed to come from the murky depths below. There was a chance he could swim back and save some people, but only a chance. Still, he had to try.  
  
Suddenly, another form broke the water. It was Jade, looking thoroughly disgruntled that her leather jacket was ruined. In one hand she was dragging her unconscious double. Jackie stood up quickly, forgetting where he was, and toppled off the wing into the water He swam over to the remains of some of the cabin, where Jade was towing the identical girl.  
  
"Is she alright?" he asked quickly, concerned for the well-being of his nieces. Jade nodded.  
  
"Yeah, we fell around the same place, but she got all stupid and tried to save Paco, who was unconscious. I was okay because of my good friend the Horse, but she ran out of air. I had to pull her up."  
  
"Why?" asked Jackie curiously. Rescues were not like the selfish yang half of his niece.  
  
"Eh, she wasn't slowing me down," shrugged the conscious child. "Ox Talisman. Or what used to be Ox."  
  
Jackie nodded comprehensively, remembering the talismans. He felt the fatigue in his muscles and the bruises on his body. "Jade? Will you help me rescue who we can?"  
  
"Tch, not my problem," she said quickly, and shut the door to the cabin, hiding her sister and herself from his view. Jackie sighed and took a deep breath, plunging down beneath the surface once again. But he saw a body swimming upward slowly, as if she had an injury. Jackie gave his arm to Viper and she held on to it firmly, kicking along with him.  
  
Finally they reached the top and he helped pull her onto the debris he had been sitting on earlier. She began coughing and spitting salt water out of her mouth, and they both sat gasping for breath again. He glanced at her and saw that her arm was twisted in a direction he was sure she couldn't have handled normally.  
  
"Alright?" he asked gently, diving back into the water. She looked up, chest still heaving with hunger for air.  
  
"Just a break, I think. Could've been way worse," she smiled weakly. Suddenly, her almond-shaped brown eyes widened. "Hey, the old guy can swim!" Jackie spun around into the direction she was looking. Uncle was swimming towards them freestyle, and he managed to pull himself onto the debris without Jackie's help, wringing out his soaked yellow vest. He didn't even look very winded. Jackie smiled, impressed. Then, he ducked below the water, wondering if there was any more time.  
  
Suddenly, he heard another splashing as El Torro broke the surface. The wrestler looked very winded, and Jackie, glancing up, saw that as soon as he clung onto a long white piece of wing, he fainted. Jackie noticed a part of his treasured mask that was even darker red than usual, and he frowned. It didn't really seem as though he would've been able to swim all that way.  
  
Suddenly, the bulk of Tohru floated up towards the bright open air, as well. But Tohru was not swimming- his arms hung limply by his sides, his eyes were closed, and his mouth was slightly agape. He almost seemed to be unconscious. And then Paco came next to him in much the same way, with his light brown hair covering the eyelids that Jackie was sure were shut and his limbs dangling down towards blackness. It almost looked as though they were being held by some sort of tentacle. . .  
  
"On, no," whispered Jackie, the words bubbling unintelligibly from his mouth. Something that felt horribly like a long snake-y tentacle seized him about the waist, and he was dragged up to the surface. The water holding him changed slowly into solidity, and he could see the demoness that was holding him. She was not the largest demon, but she towered above Jackie and the others. Her body was obviously female with blue and white markings, but otherwise she was serpent-esque and covered in fins and scales. Her hair flowed and wriggled like a gorgon's, and her glowing eyes were narrowed and peering down at him, the color of blood.  
  
"Bai Tsa," Jackie whispered to himself. The water demon gave a strange semblance to a smile that looked more ravenous than pleased and made Jackie's stomach turn.  
  
"Nice to see you've remembered me, Chan," she said in the scratchy hiss that seemed to be a characteristic of all of her siblings. "Noble of you to attempt a rescue of the passengers, but I am afraid you are too late. I have forgotten in my imprisonment how delicious humans are."  
  
Bai Tsa grinned, satisfied, and Jackie shuddered. He thought of all of the people on the plane, dead. And worse, he felt somehow responsible. How he had come to dealing with demons, Jackie would never know. Was it because of Jade's zeal, Augustus's job offer, Uncle's indispensability, or because of something he had done? Jackie decided that this wasn't something worth dwelling on. Instead, he forced himself to look the demon squarely in the eye, something that caused her to hiss in displeasure.  
  
"Why didn't you kill us too? Why rescue us, instead of adding several more to your lunch?" he said defiantly, his thick eyebrows narrowed. Jackie seldom was angry, but being in the clutches of this murderess, he was seeing red. He took a deep breath, knowing that remaining calm would be essential to formulate a plan. Bai Tsa peered at him in a curious annoyance.  
  
"I would gladly drown you for your insolence alone, but I cannot. My siblings are in need of several humans, and what better humans to use then the enemies of brother Shendu? But do not think that we will not make you and the others suffer." The hideous smile returned, as if the idea provided her with great pleasure.  
  
"What do you need humans for?" Jackie blurted. Bai Tsa peered at him again, smile vanishing as soon as she realized that he was still alive and un- tortured.  
  
"You will learn that in due time, Chan. But, as I recall being informed by my younger brother, there are seven members in your little band. I count only six." Jackie's eyes darted to the cabin where both Jades were, but he did not allow himself another look. He suddenly realized that as long as yin-Jade was unconscious, they might remain there. Yang-Jade would not care if they were devoured. Normally, Jackie wouldn't be pleased if a very powerful ally refused to fight, but he didn't want his niece to be hurt by the menacing demon.  
  
"Um, no, there are only six of us," Jackie lied quickly. Bai Tsa did not look convinced, and Jackie cursed his terrible lying ability.  
  
"No, I remember. You were accompanied by a child, a miserable little brat." Bai Tsa muttered. Jackie thought quickly and forced himself to keep a straight face.  
  
"Yes, my niece was living with me, but now she is back with her parents." Jackie had apparently done a better job, because Bai Tsa nodded.  
  
"Six shall be adequate, although later we will find the child. We don't need any of our former enemies creating problems in our new empire, do we?" she smiled, and Jackie gulped. It definitely didn't sound like they would survive this one easily. But the J-Team would find a way. He was certain of it. He had to be.  
  
Bai Tsa placed Jackie onto the debris that Viper, El Torro, Paco, Uncle, and Tohru were huddled on. Then, the water demon's body melted into water and formed a wave that sped their raft along the ocean far faster than a motorboat would manage. Jackie sighed as they sailed along. There was so much room around them, but escape was impossible. He had no idea where they would find land, and water was Bai Tsa's element. Literally. But the cabin where Jade had hidden was speeding from sight as well. His nieces seemed to be out of trouble for now. If only he could believe that Jade could stay out of trouble.  
  
The archaeologist glanced around at his fellow passengers. El Torro had woken up, and although he seemed rather dizzy, he was trying to revive Paco. The wrestler cast Jackie a weak smile.  
  
"Don't worry, amigo." Jackie nodded and acknowledged him. Tohru was still unconscious, but he showed signs of reviving. Uncle sat as still as a statue, chin in hand, obviously deep in thought. There was another bonus- they had Uncle. The chi wizard had proved himself invaluable in difficult situations time and time again. Jackie smiled, and Viper put her uninjured arm around his shoulder lightly, patting him on the back.  
  
"Don't worry about it," she grinned. He sighed, and wished that he could possess some of her poise. "As long as we've still got a couple of us out there. . ."  
  
Jackie shushed her sharply, and she clenched her lips shut. He glanced out over the water, where the cabin had now completely disappeared. "I just hope that they stay out there," he said finally. Viper raised an eyebrow in disagreement, but didn't comment.  
  
Author's Note~ Sorry about the late update, folks. Hectic day. Speech tournament that was friggin' 8 hours long. Do you know how many times I had to ramble on about some random General? Gah. Also, this fic hasn't been beta'd, so please excuse spelling and grammar.  
  
VampireNaomi, you have strange dreams. Dai Gui and Hsi Wu in Jade's clothes? Do you realize that image has burned itself onto my memory? Lol. Well, I don't think I need to answer to "Who will they meet first?" question. . .but in case I do, it was Bai Tsa. I think Bai is just about the coolest demon. *grin* But yes, Xiao Fung will be there- all demons will appear in this fic, with the possible exception of Shendu. Haven't decided that one yet. Not because I don't like Shendu, but his siblings don't really have any motivation to release him.  
  
As for the shipping question, Jade and Hsi Wu will meet, but I'm pretty sure they won't be shippy. First of all, it would be difficult to do because of the strange state Jade is currently in. Yin-Jade may be a bit friendlier with Hsi because of her affinity for Seymour, but probably not much else. I've been rather undecided about Jade/His for awhile and I've recently decided I liked it, but I'm not crazy about it. Jade isn't old enough now for a serious romance. While she may crush on human boys and movie stars, she isn't going to fall passionately in love with a demon. Basically, Hsi Wu/Jade must be written very well to succeed, and that brings me to my third point- I am quite terrible at romance. Therefore, if there is any romance in this story, it will be merely implied chemistry, not blatant stuff.  
  
As for the next season of JCA, you flatter me, but how cool would that be?? I wonder how much they pay their writers. . .though in reality I'd probably pay them to let me give them ideas for the next season. I'd throw myself at their shiny WB executive feet and beg. . .not to mention I'd throw in a good word for my beloved show The Zeta Project which none of you know of as it's been off air for a whole damn year now! *sob*. . .moving along. . .  
  
Lol, don't worry ShadowElfBard, I wouldn't really do that. Much too cruel to my poor dear JCA characters.  
  
As for Daolon, Valmont and the demons. . .well, we will be seeing Valmont later and possibly the enforcers. If they don't have much of a role, it isn't that I don't like them, it has to do with the demon's motives. They don't have much of a problem with the Enforcers, but their issue is with Valmont. We'll see. I don't think Daolon will be in this as I have enough freakin' characters as it is, and unlike the Dark Hand, who are bad guys but likeable and very human, Daolon doesn't have the possibility to be good and co-operative. Therefore, he wouldn't really work in this particular role.  
  
One last thing- I'm quite a fanatic bout schedules, and so far I've been pretty good about sticking to my updating every other week. But I have some hectic times coming up, especially around Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays. Therefore, I might be late with the story. If I'm late Thanksgiving, it won't be more than a week, but the couple weeks around Christmas I might not have time to update at all. We'll have to see. It's 6 here and my parents are out, so I should be able to get some quality work in about now. Depends on how bad my level of procrastination will be. Thanks for reading, everyone!  
  
Oh, and I apologize for any 'His Wu' in the story. My Word processor converts it automatically. I think I got them all. . .  
  
Oh, and in case anyone cares, if you're ever looking up JCA info, like demon pictures, use fan-sites. The WB site is pretty worthless. Although it was kinda fun to make Jackie dance about in a giant Snorlax costume! 


	12. Enter the Demons

Chapter 12 ~ Enter the Demons  
  
Jade yawned and stretched. She was very tired, and didn't know where she was. All she knew is that her head really hurt, she felt very cold and wet, and she felt as though she was rocking, almost like she was on a boat. . .  
  
"Finally, waking up. You're so lazy!" snapped a voice that sounded quite a bit like her own, but much nastier. And then Jade remembered everything. She sat straight up, looking around wildly. They were in the airplane cabin, but not all of it was there- it was as though large pieces and been torn out of the front and the sides.  
  
"Omigosh! Where's Jackie and Uncle and Tohru and everybody? Did you save them? Please say you saved them!" she blurted frantically at the girl that could've been her twin, who was currently munching on a pack of airline peanuts. She looked over at her other half unconcernedly.  
  
"Nope. Didn't save anybody. Jackie saved them, though," she said simply, then emptied the rest of the peanuts into her mouth. "I wish they put more in these things."  
  
"So. . .they're okay?" asked yin-Jade cautiously, looking around and looking through one of the holes in the plane to the empty water around them. "Where are they, then?"  
  
The other Jade crumpled the peanut bag into a ball and threw it into the water. Then, before her twin could say anything about littering, decided to answer her question with a shrug. "Um, the passengers all got eaten by Bai Tsa. I think she captured the J-Team because of some evil plan or something."  
  
Jade gasped and stared wide eyed at Jade, as if unsure what she was being told could be true. In yin-Jade's world, nobody got eaten and certainly never did anyone's uncles get kidnapped by demons. "But you saved them, right? You wouldn't let Bai Tsa kidnap Jackie, right?"  
  
The other Jade shrugged again, not really concerned with what happened to Jackie or any of the J-Team other than herself. "I was hungry. I had to look for peanuts. I'm not about to fight demons when I'm hungry."  
  
The other Jade stood up, indignant, or as indignant as this half of Jade ever got. "What? You'd rather find peanuts than save our friends?"  
  
"They were honey roasted," said Jade, as if this explained everything. And indeed it did, for honey-roasted peanuts are quite delicious. And airlines almost never serve honey roasted peanuts anymore. "And besides," she finished, "I figured everything would be a lot easier this way. Now all the demons will congregate together and get rid of Jackie. Then, I can beat them up all at once, and get out of a lecture, too!"  
  
"No!" shouted Jade indignantly. "How can you say that? He's our uncle!"  
  
"He sucks," muttered Jade, getting annoyed with her other half. Yin-Jade stared, mouth agape.  
  
"B-but. . .how. . .how can you say that about Jackie? He's so cool! Even you know that!"  
  
Jade sighed and shifted her weight. "Well, I'll admit he has some cool moves, but I have some cooler ones. As you'll see when we fight the demons. And Jackie's really a wimp. Come on, he always tries to get out of fighting and doing cool stuff, and he never lets us do anything fun. We're way better off without him."  
  
"He does too let us do fun stuff!" argued Jade for her uncle's sake. "He lets us come with him on his trips even though we don't even listen to him and he took us to Moose World twice, and he teaches us how to do kung fu, and if it weren't for him, we wouldn't be living in America at all, so you wouldn't get to use to talismans! Oh, and he let us join the Buttercup Scouts, which was a lot of fun, even though you had to go and ruin it!"  
  
"Shut up!" growled Jade, spinning on her double quickly and grabbing the girl's dress collar. "I don't want to listen to you whining any more! So if you don't shut up, I'll throw you into the sea and kick Jackie's ass personally." Yin-Jade whimpered as her eyes filled with tears. Her sister sighed and put her down, where the small girl wiped her wet cheeks with her sweater. "Oh, stop crying. You're even worse than Jackie."  
  
"You didn't have to be mean to me!" she sniffled miserably. "I wasn't trying to make you mad. I just want to help the J-Team. Can't we beat demons and do that too? I promise Jackie won't give you a lecture or anything, and we'll go away and leave you alone," she said meekly, glancing up at her twin hopefully.  
  
"Fine. Whatever," said yang-Jade darkly. "Just stop crying. It makes me sick. And the Buttercup Scouts suck."  
  
"Okay," agreed Jade, if it would pacify her other half enough to help her friends and family. But under her breath, feeling almost defiant today, she muttered "They do not."  
  
Her double did not appear to hear her as she pulled off the damp leather jacket that clung tightly to her arms. She threw the ruined jacket at her sister, who shook her head sorrowfully and said "Those poor little cows." But she forgot about the plight of the unfortunate bovines when she saw the belt buckled about her sibling's waist. Tied across the belt were eleven talismans and half of the horse. Jade reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out the other half, but tucked it away again.  
  
She was just as loathe to rejoin as her sibling was. She knew it wasn't her sister's fault that she was a little bit selfish, but she didn't want any part of it. She possessed so many memories of her hurting people, or breaking the rules, or making her uncle worried just so she could have fun, and she couldn't believe that she had done these things. She never wanted to be like that again.  
  
Yang-Jade was watching her belt carefully, trying to remember the talismans. Since the powers weren't in any of the right talismans, she had had to experiment to find out which was which. It had been difficult- luckily the power of Dog was the first she found, since when she tried to astral-project herself with the sheep, it had turned out to be the dragon. Finally, the girl pulled out the talismans marked with the pig and with the rat.  
  
First, she placed the rat on the floor of the ship and put her hand over it, trying to call upon its power. Instantly, the entire craft became invisible. Jade was proud of herself- when she had seen the Dark Hand try the same trick, only the car disappeared and the passengers remained visible. But under the power of Jade's snake, the craft had vanished completely from sight, but from inside it looked perfectly ordinary. Jade had practiced so long that she was the master at manipulating talismans. She thought she might even be almost as good as Shendu.  
  
Now, she put the pig on the floor next to the rat, and called upon its power, as well. With a sudden jerking movement, the boat sped along the water in the direction where she thought Bai Tsa had gone, with the speed of the rabbit. She sat at the front of the craft, while her sister sat along the edge, slowly dragging her feet in the tide.  
  
"See anything?" she asked finally in a timid voice. The other girl seemed to ignore her, continuing to watch over the way. Yin-Jade sighed and kicked the waves with her foot.  
  
"I see a sort of speckish thing, and the water gets real rough. I think it might be them," said yang-Jade finally. Jade nodded and pulled her feet in, as anything outside the craft was still visible.  
  
"Okay, it's definitely them," said yang-Jade suddenly. She put her hand on the pig, and willed it to slow down slightly. "We can't get too near, or she'll see our wake," Jade explained. Yin-Jade nodded acceptingly.  
  
"I wonder if everyone's okay?" she added softly, peering out over the water to where her uncles and friends were held prisoner.  
  
***  
  
Several thousand yards away, Jackie and the others were still riding along, okay but unsure of what lay in store for them. Jackie had lost track of their direction, although he believed they were heading southeast. It hardly seemed possible, but they must have been going more swiftly than the plane. Already, the waters that sprayed onto him over the sides was getting warmer and clearer, a sign that land was nearby. But by air, they had left the landmasses behind for the cold grey Pacific long ago.  
  
And, sure enough, a fog that had been hovering on the horizon began to take shape, ands it suddenly occurred that this was the beginning of land. At first, he thought it would be a small island somewhere in the Pacific, but as they drew nearer it expanded and filled his entire horizon.  
  
The wave that had pushed them this far began to grow and take shape into the impressive form of Bai Tsa. The little raft was pushed into a dull blue bay, and washed up onto a deserted beach. Jackie stepped off the raft, and the others slowly filed after him. The beach was covered in rocks, and the sand was a fine orange-red powder. It reminded him of the desert in southwest America, or perhaps parts of the Australian Outback. The latter seemed more likely, and Jackie decided that they must be somewhere near northern Australia.  
  
But if this was an island, it was quite large, because the landscape stretched farther than Jackie could see. Everything seemed to be dust and tall rocks, with an occasional scraggly tree growing stubbornly out of the cracked dry ground. The sky was deep blue, but in the middle of Jackie's line of sight, it appeared to have ripped down the middle in a jagged line from the clouds to the earth. Inside the tear was swirling light, as red as Bai Tsa's eyes.  
  
"Is that. . ." whispered Viper slowly, and Jackie started, not having realized she was there. But when he glanced over, all of the others were lined up beside him, except of course for the Jades, who he hoped were en route back to San Francisco.  
  
"The Realm of the Demons" said Uncle quietly to his right, peering so intently at the tear that he had to squint through his tiny glasses.  
  
"Dios mio," said El Torro, staring at the tear as though he had never seen anything quite like it. Indeed, it looked impossibly huge, spectacular, and foreboding. Jackie wasn't at all sure why they had been brought here, but he knew that the other demons couldn't be far away.  
  
And quite suddenly, the earth in front of them split, and an enormous brown bull-like demon emerged, covered in red earth. He looked blankly at them, never having been the brightest demon. He glanced over the small crowd of humans. "Dai Gui hungry," he complained in a tone that almost sounded like a human whine.  
  
Bai Tai slithered up and circled around them like a constrictor encircles its prey. She frowned at her brother, and hissed "These are not for eating!" Dai Gui gave her a doleful look, then buried himself back into the earth so that only his head was showing.  
  
There was a loud swoosh as an enormous bat-like demon swooped in from the sky and landed besides Dai Gui. He was a far smaller demon than the two beside him, he stood barely taller than Tohru. The expression on his face was one of such excitement that it made Jackie sick. He could take whatever awful punishment the demons had in mind, but he didn't want it to happen to his uncle or to his friends.  
  
"They're finally here!" the sky demon hissed. "What took so long, Bai?" Bai frowned at him and even Dai Gui shook his head Hsi Wu fluttered a couple yards away and sat there, looking like a child angry to be in time-out.  
  
"Ah. I smell human," came an enormous rumbling voice. Jackie glanced over at an enormous formation of orange rocks. Behind it came to yawns and groan of the mountain demon waking herself up. Then, she emerged above the rock, peering down onto them. When he finally turned away from her, he could see the enormous toad-like wind demon hopping their direction. He was moving very slowly, but his size was making it easy for him to travel the short distance at the same rate a human might get running.  
  
Floating down from the air, and looking incredibly out of place in the sunny atmosphere of earth, was the moon demon. He cast them a bored look, and then nodded slowly to acknowledge Bai Tsa's presence. The last demon to emerge was the thunder demon, standing to his full and very impressive height It was he who spoke first, bending slightly so that he could meet Jackie's eyes. On his face, there was a vaguely hungry look, but he didn't seem as though he was going to act on it. Tchang Zu had never been too bright himself, but he was all about regality and power.  
  
"Hello, Chan," he rumbled. "I believe you already know my brothers and sisters?" His gaze was obviously angry with the memories of being released only to be banished by Jackie and his family.  
  
Jackie smiled and bent an arm behind his head casually, waving animatedly with the other hand. "Oh, hello! Nice to see everyone, but I must be going, bye bye!" He turned to run and suddenly felt his shoulders in the grip of two large talons. His feet lost contact with the ground, as His Wu hissed happily "Going somewhere, Chan?"  
  
The sky demon carried him high above the ground, until he was even with the head of Tchang Zu. Jackie clenched his eyes shut. He didn't mind heights so much, but they could be pretty terrifying when you were in the clutches of a demon who would drop you without batting and eyelid.  
  
"Brother Hsi Wu," commandeered the thundering voice of Tchang Zu, "Put Mr. Chan down. There are far more important things we need him for than for your entertainment." His Wu nodded grudgingly, and swooped down so quickly that Jackie's eyes began to water. When they were about 10 feet up, the demon stopped abruptly, and let go of his human cargo. But Jackie, not wanting to give to demon the satisfaction of watching him fall hard, flipped in midair and landed on his feet.  
  
He could've sworn he had heard a "Go Jackie!" from somewhere nearby, but when he looked, he saw no one. He brushed himself off, glanced at Tchang Zu, who was obviously in charge, and said "So, what are these important things you need us for?"  
  
The thunder demon didn't respond. He looked to some of his siblings, and finally caught the eye of Tso Lan. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement, and the moon demon floated towards the J-Team. Bai Tsa coiled away from them, handing them over to her brother.  
  
"I believe you will find out shortly," said the moon demon in that soft voice of his, that voice that tricked you into believing, just for a second, that he was civilized, that he possessed compassion. "We require you to, shall we say, fill in for us." Jackie opened his mouth to question further, but Tso Lan waved his hand, and the J-Team was levitated into the air.  
  
Hsi Wu flew up next to them and cackled "Let's see how you enjoy an eternity in the demon realm! Only it won't be an eternity, not once the others co-"  
  
Po Kong's massive hand swatted Hsi Wu out of the sky. The bat-like demon lay sprawled on the ground. "Fool!" hissed Po Kong.  
  
Jackie realized with a sinking feeling where they were being sent. "Yes, Chan," murmured Bai Tsa happily. "This is the fate that lies in wait for all enemies of the great demons."  
  
Author's Note~ There's more to this chapter, but I didn't feel like writing it, and that seemed like a sufficiently evil place to stop. How's everyone doing?  
  
I'm good! Thanks for the many reviews. Reviews make me happy! One more review to 60. Ooh, I have an idea! Whoever is responsible for the 75th review will receive.a prize. I'm not sure what it will be yet, but I'll probably have several chapters to decide. Maybe I'll let you make a suggestion or something.  
  
Thank you scottishwolf, Miyo86, and Broli the Destroyah. Destroyah, you. . .disturb me. Please don't hurt me, I promise to finish, I promise!!! Naw, I'm jk, I love you all. *hugs*  
  
(Thanks to VampireNaomi, ShadowElfBard, and B Oots, too, but I've already thanked you before. At least, I hope I have.)  
  
Sorry for any mistakes! Once again, this chapter hasn't been beta'd, but this time it's my fault. I wanted to get it up this weekend, so I should've sent it to my betas last weekend, but I didn't finish until this morning. Sorry, but I was at the mall! Writers have lives too! Although, you wouldn't know it by the number of hours I spend online. . .  
  
See ya, Friends! 


	13. VampireNaomi Gets Her Wish

Chapter 13~ VampireNaomi Gets Her Wish  
  
Jackie could see the swirling light of the demon realm clearly. Before he had just seen it as that space behind portals; now he saw another world. One that he was certain he would be seeing a lot of very soon.  
  
It was the perfect punishment, he thought wryly. The demons had been cooped up in there for centuries, now the J-Team would get their turn. The worst part was that he didn't know if anyone would save his world now. He would never know; he might die without knowing.  
  
At least Jade might manage to survive, Jackie thought desperately as he and the others were flung into the swirling redness.  
  
The blue sky of his world became a tiny slit in the fiery sky. Behind the opening, he heard the low hiss of words in some strange language he didn't recognize, spoken in Tso Lan's voice. "Alse het alrtpo thwi lstaorm erevorf."  
  
And then, Jade's voice "No! Jackie!" Jackie, floating adrift in the atmosphere, started and began swimming frantically towards the portal. He wasn't about to see his niece get devoured by demons! But a bright green light formed around the portal, sealing it shut like a needle sewing thread. His last glimpse was of Jade surrounded by demons, being pulled back into the bushes by an unseen force. And then the human world vanished from his sight.  
  
"No!" Jackie shouted, clawing at the space the portal had been. Once these portals were closed. . .but there must be another way to leave the demon realm. Jackie knew he had to get back. He couldn't leave the world at the mercy of those monsters! But this wasn't going to help. Dejected, Jackie gave up.  
  
The atmosphere of the demon world was very different than of earth- it felt more like water. It was actually possible to sort of swim through it, but it wasn't quite dense enough- Jackie realized he was sinking. He flailed around in the air for awhile, before grasping on the nearest thing. This thing was fleshy, and it hit him over the head with two fingers. Jackie let go of Uncle's hand and scrambled onto one of the world's convenient floating rocks. Jackie glanced up at his Uncle.  
  
"Jackie, you cannot open portal. No sense fighting," said Uncle sagely, his tiny spectacles glinting. The others all crowded around Uncle at this statement, looking shocked.  
  
"We can't get back?" asked Paco in a tiny voice. "Not ever?"  
  
"Sensei, are you sure there's no other way?" asked Tohru in an ever respectful but pleading voice.  
  
Viper put a hand on her hip and frowned. "No. I am not spending the rest of my life in some crazy swirling red hell. You do realize this is your fault, Jackie?" she said, turning an accusing look to him. El Torro also grimaced in Jackie's direction. Jackie glanced up at all of them sadly, his arms folded in front of him.  
  
"I'm sorry I got all of you into this," he said shortly, obviously not concentrating on the issue here, but thinking on the world on the other side. Viper glared as she and El Torro opened their mouths to speak. Paco looked on the verge of tears, and Tohru kept muttering something about needing to say goodbye to his mommy.  
  
"Listen to Uncle!" Uncle shouted angrily. Everyone instantly shut up and looked at him. Uncle cleared his throat. "Uncle did not say we could never go back! We cannot get back through the portal; that is all."  
  
"But, sensei," Tohru muttered, "what way is there, other than the portal? The chi spells we placed on the doors are permanent. as was the Htigl Spell placed upon the portal by the demons."  
  
"Uncle does not know," said Uncle slowly. He reached for his spectacles, and the glinted in the fell light. "We must do research."  
  
Jackie had been standing, staring down into the red depths. Suddenly, he exploded in disbelief, "That is ridiculous! How can you possibly do research when there are no books?"  
  
Uncle hit Jackie over the head again. "How do you know there are no books? We are in the Realm of Onacdr, the origin of magic! How can there be no books? There are many books here!"  
  
"Funny, demons don't seem like the bookworm type to me," muttered Viper under her breath. Then, she flinched as Uncle hit her, as well.  
  
"Of course demons are not bookworms! Books are not here for demons! They cannot touch Onacdrian Books, for they are forged of good magic!" Uncle frowned at her display of ignorance and folded his arms. Tohru decided that it was time for some explanation.  
  
"The Realm of Onacdr is the universe that the demon realm is part of. Onacdr is believed by Chi Wizards to be the origin of the first chi magic. The great master Gesa's works were written to instruct those who want to become chi wizards, and it contains references to great power learned from the Onacdrians. However, no other chi wizard has ever made recorded contact with an Onacdrian wizard. There are books of magic written in Onacdrian- the spell Jade read from earlier was one of them. The demons have always resided here- these are the dungeons of Onacdr and evil magic can't pass through its gates. But supposedly there is a great civilization on the other side."  
  
Uncle nodded, verifying that Tohru was correct. "Every young chi wizard learns of Onacdr," the elderly man said. "Uncle should like to meet a chi wizard of this dimension, and they could help us home. But even an Onacdr spell book would help Uncle."  
  
Jackie was very alert now. They had finally found a way to get home. "Which way are the gates?" he asked tensely. He was responded with a slap on his temple.  
  
"How should Uncle know?" the old man complained. "We will each explore in a different direction. The dungeons are not large, should not be long. When we reach the boundary, we will follow until someone finds gate! Come, Tohru," Uncle instructed his apprentice. The two began walking off into the red clouds.  
  
"I suppose we will split up, then, amigos," El Torro said to the remainder of them. He nodded in the opposite direction than the one Uncle took. "Adios."  
  
"I will come with you, El Torro!" shouted Paco, hurrying after. They, too, disappeared into the ever changing light.  
  
"Guess it's you and me, then, babyface," commented Viper. She no longer seemed angry with him, not now that there was hope. Jackie realized she must've been as afraid as he had been to remain here forever. Strange, since he didn't generally think of her as being afraid of anything.  
  
"Let's hurry," he said, but smiled this time. "I want to get back home."  
  
***  
  
"You idiot!" snapped Jade. She was currently invisible, but her other half was not. The girl was very much in the sight of seven staring demons. So much for their element of surprise. So much for preparation. Jade had wanted time to know the battle ground before she fought demons, but her stupid sister had ruined it all.  
  
"No!" the other girl screamed. "Jackie!" She watched in horror as the last of the portal vanished from her eyes. She could just make out Jackie in the tiny bit that was left, and then he was gone. "Jackie, Uncle, Tohru, Viper, Paco, El Torro. . .everyone!" Jade wailed. She turned toward Tso Lan, her bottom lip quivering in righteous anger. "Bring them back! Please! They're my family! Except Tohru, but he's my best friend, and Viper's practically my aunt, and we've been through so much with El Torro and Paco!"  
  
Finally, Tchang Zu spoke. "Is that not Chan's offspring? Why was she not sealed with the rest?"  
  
Bai Tsa hissed angrily, creating a tidal wave out in the bay. "Chan told me she had been sent to live with her parents!"  
  
"And you believed him?" smirked Hsi Wu with a screeching chuckle. "Why would you believe Chan? And you're supposed to be the intelligent one."  
  
"Do not be so insolent to your betters!" hissed Bai Tsa at the smaller demon, seething with rage. Hsi Wu's smirk lost its arrogant quality, but Tso Lan intervened before Hsi Wu was harmed.  
  
"It is of little consequence," he said calmly. "The child shall be easily disposed of. It is merely a matter of which of us shall taste the first human blood."  
  
Suddenly, another girl materialized before the first one, a look of cool determination on her young face. "Oh," she said casually, "it's gonna be a much greater matter then that."  
  
The demons looked at each other. "I didn't know there were two girls," said Xiao Fung lazily. He didn't contribute much to demon arguments, as it didn't seem worth the effort, but he hoped that this scenario might result in an early dinner.  
  
"I do not remember two girls myself," frowned Bai Tsa with a suspicious hiss in the direction of the Jades.  
  
Po Kong glanced at the others, surprised. "Oh, there were far more than two. There were several hundred."  
  
"There was only one," muttered Hsi Wu in annoyance. Tchang Zu glanced at him scathingly, but Hsi Wu didn't stop. "Don't give me a lecture about correcting my betters. None of you made it into Chan's house. I did. You probably don't even know the girl's name, let alone how many there were."  
  
Yang-Jade grimaced. She had not forgotten about that, and made a decision to kill Hsi Wu very painfully. No one used Jade Chan, especially not when she was currently lacking a conscience.  
  
"Knowing mortals' names is not something to brag about," said Tchang Zu, annoyed at his brother for interrupting him. Dai Gui was still focusing on the Jades from his place, half submerged.  
  
"Dai Gui wants to eat," complained the earth demon. "Dai Gui is hungry now."  
  
Tso Lan glanced at his brother Dai Gui. He, too, was thirsting for blood, but he was able to go for far longer without food than the others. There weren't humans on the moon for his convenience, after all. And he had much more self-restraint than the others. He drew back, watching the slaughter to take place with mild interest.  
  
"You may have one, Dai Gui," said Tchang Zu. "I will taste the blood of the other." Po Kong frowned, but did not comment. The child wouldn't satiate her appetite, anyways. Xiao Fung was disappointed, as well, but he knew that the less he said, the fewer problems he had to deal with. Hsi Wu decided not to argue, as he was in trouble enough as it was. Bai Tsa had eaten a large lunch at sea. And so, Dai Gui and Tchang Zu menacingly turned to the Jades. Yang-Jade pushed her sister behind her, and reached for her belt of talismans.  
  
Author's Note~ Yet another lovely place to leave off! *grin* Well, I learned my lesson withdrawing betas- I realized that last chapter I kept spelling demon names wrong. Gah. But, I shall now stealthily go back and fix it, so you will not know!  
  
As you can see by my title, I am running out of ideas for titles. But you can also see that yes, VampireNaomi, Jackie & Co. will be spending quite some time on the flip side. Arg, that sentence is structured wrong. It sounds like VampireNaomi is in the demon realm. *shrug* maybe she is! Hahahahahahahahaha *cough* sorry.  
  
As for the Destroyah, glad to hear I'm not on your hurt list. I don't know bout a Hsi Wu/Jade romance, although popular demand is putting the pressure on! I said a while back that if I got a suggestion on my 75th review, maybe I'd do it. . .keep holding out for HW/J and maybe I'll succumb. *grin* Oh. . .any funny you should mention dragons. . .*eyes dart about in a suspicious way*  
  
Awwww, thank you, Dacki!!  
  
I'm sorry for the cliffhangers, you guys, but I feel almost. . .irresponsible not to end a chapter with one. Plus, it keeps all of you on your toes.  
  
X-Mas vacation is coming up, and I won't get much done during it. I'm going to my grandparents house, and then to Mexico. So I'll be very busy. So if I'm late, don't fret. I seriously need some R&R (rest and relaxation, not read and review, although the latter's nice, too.)  
  
Actually, since I'm leaving for my Grandma's today and for Mexico next week, don't be surprised if the next chapter is not just one, but two weeks late. One week late is probably a definite. Two weeks late a grim possibility. Sorry. *small smile*  
  
Thanks for reading! And I apologize for anything wrong about the Demon Realm. It's been a long time since I've watched those eps; I'm mostly going on pictures.  
  
Oh, one last thing. . .*_* Anyone else seen Return of the King? *swoon* It is the best movie ever! It is 100% worth the 3.5 hours spent in the theatre. The whole time is one action packed adventure after dramatic moment after inspiring battle after GORGY LEGOLAS!!!!! I feel like I'm on some sort of drug, because I've just been so crazy since seeing it. It's not like normal movies, where you hear the battle speech and think "That was pretty. *yawn*" It's like. . .you want to be there, you feel just like the army. You know you're going to certain death, but you'll still follow Aragorn anywhere. *grin* If you haven't seen it, SEE IT! 


	14. Clash

Chapter 14~ Clash  
  
"Wah!" shouted Jackie, springing up with a start. He looked around wildly, eyes taking in the swirling red atmosphere. He was lying on a rock. Viper was sitting next to him, brushing her hair. Jackie wondered briefly where she found a brush. It looked like the kind of brush Viper would have- it was silver with small diamonds around the edges. Viper was obsessed with precious stones.  
  
The ex-thief glanced over her shoulder at Jackie, frowning with slight amusement, slight concern. "What's wrong?"  
  
Jackie pulled himself to his feet, running his hands over his tired face. He felt as though he could really use a cold shower at the moment, or at least a cup of coffee. "Oh, nothing. Just a very. . .strange dream. How long have you been awake?"  
  
Viper yawned and stretched her arms. "It's hard to tell time here," she said slowly, "but a couple of hours. I usually wake up at about five back home."  
  
"Why?" asked Jackie, incredulously. He'd thought his daily routine of waking up at 6:30 was early.  
  
Viper shrugged with a grin. "Habit. Early to bed, early to rise, you know? But I did some exploring while you were asleep. Hungry?" To Jackie's great surprise, she tossed him a very shiny red apple.  
  
He took a bite. It was the sweetest, juiciest apple that he had ever tasted. Jackie swallowed and glanced up at her. "Where'd you find this?"  
  
Viper shrugged again. "I don't know, hard to find your way around. It wasn't too far away from here. It was in a silk bag, with some other fruit. Pretty weird, huh?" She raised her eyebrows.  
  
Jackie gave the apple a critical look. "It tastes okay. . .I didn't think demons would eat apples." He took several more bites of the apple, and then placed it inside his sweater for later. "We should resume the search."  
  
The pair of them gazed across the red space. There seemed to be a strange flicker in the distance, and that was where they had been heading when they became tired. With a leap, both Jackie and Viper reached the next rock, continuing slowly along.  
  
***  
  
There was a rumble, as Dai Gui pulled himself out from the ground. He leered hungrily at the two girls, not sure which one to take. If there had been a bigger or very appetizing one, Tchang Zu would have taken her for himself, but it didn't appear that way. Dai Gui looked at the two. One was sitting on the ground, in tears. The other was staring at him, glaring. Dai Gui decided to take the nearer one, since the other one might taste soggy. His massive claws reached for the girl.  
  
Suddenly, she was no longer standing there. Dai Gui looked around in confusion. Where did his meal go? He was vaguely aware of a dark blur speeding towards his, and then the outline of a sneaker very close to his face before he was thrown.  
  
Jade flipped in the air, and landed in a rather overly dramatic martial arts pose. Dai Gui lay on the ground several hundred feet away, groaning. The demons stared at their brother in shock, except for Hsi Wu, who was perched on the ground and did not look surprised. The sky demon's shoulders shook, almost as though he were laughing.  
  
Jade arched an eyebrow and glanced at the remaining demons. She smirked, and said dramatically, "Who's next?"  
  
Tchang Zu roared, and dark thunderclouds began to cover the sky. The enormous demon was shaking with anger as he looked at the girl, but to his frustration she didn't cower but smirked and met his eyes.  
  
"How dare you insult my brother, foolish human! To be devoured is too kind a fate for you!" Tchang Zu's massive fist smashed into the ground where Jade stood, or, more accurately, had been standing a moment before. Now, she was floating calmly in the air. Tchang Zu started to stand to his feet, when something strange happened to the girl. Her whole body glowed with golden light. She put one hand forward, and a beam that looked as bright as the sun hit Tchang Zu, knocking him to the ground. As the massive demon lost conciousness, the storm clouds disintegrated.  
  
Tso Lan floated silently down next to the girl, who was now laughing. She noticed the demon, and spun around in midair. "You want some of this, demon? As long as I can fly, gravity can't affect me!"  
  
Tso Lan's permanently calm demenour did not change. He looked at Jade with a curious expression. "How interesting," said his cool, deep voice. "Now, how is it, my dear child, that you have come by these powers? I do remember your talent for speed, but that beam of light greatly resembles a power possessed by my young brother."  
  
Jade crossed her arms, and gave Tso Lan a look much like the one she reserved for Jackie when he told her to go with Uncle. "Like I'd tell you," she pouted.  
  
Tso Lan turned away, glancing at his youngest brother. Hsi Wu was currently flapping over Tchang Zu, snickering. Suddenly, he noticed Tso Lan, and forced his face to remain straight. "Hsi Wu," said Tso Lan thoughtfully, with the hint of a reprimand in his voice, "perhaps you can tell us why the child's antics amuse you so? Do you know anything of her powers?"  
  
"Yes, Brother," said Hsi Wu, in an obviously fake submissive tone. "The child possesses the talismans of Shendu. Apparently, they are magic stones that were created by the enemy to hold his powers."  
  
"Ah," whispered Tso Lan. "Yes, I know of the talismans, but I was not aware they held magic for those apart from our brother." He turned back to Jade, who was still glaring, wanting the demons to stop talking and fight her already.  
  
Bai Tsa slithered up, an almost gentle smile on her face. Her brothers and sister knew that this was her deadliest expression. "Well, small Chan," she said sweetly, "you may have been able to surprise my brothers, but Shendu is, unfortunately, not the strongest of the family. All of us shall easily be able to defeat you."  
  
Jade's response to this was to turn golden again. Putting out her hand, she blasted Bai Tsa with a powerful dragon beam. When the attack ended, steam sizzled from where Bai Tsa had been. Jade smirked, but then notice that the steam was condensing into a pool of water, which reformed itself into Bai Tsa. The water demoness cackled. "You think to defeat me, a water demon, with a heat beam? You are even more foolish than Brother Shendu."  
  
Bai Tsa hit Jade with a burst of water. Combining speed and levitation, Jade zoomed out of the way. With a thump, she hit something big and grey. "Going somewhere?" hissed Hsi Wu. Jade punched him with a boost of strength, knocking the demon to the ground. From out of nowhere, a large rock crashed into Jade, and she, too, fell.  
  
"Gravity can affect anyone, whether or not they themselves are subject to it," said Tso Lan, with something like pride in his voice. Jade lay on the ground, crushed under Tso Lan's rock. She hurt all over, but she could already feel her wounds growing numb. Her lungs had been crushed, and every breath was an agony. But she wasn't dying. It was only a matter of time before she was made whole again. As long as she had. . .  
  
"The talismans," whispered Tso Lan, his hand outstretched. Jade saw it, but her insides felt as though she had just drunk a cup of sweet herbal tea. The talisman was doing its job, she would be okay in a matter of minutes.  
  
"No," croaked Jade, glaring at the moon demon. Suddenly, she heard Po Kong's rumbling voice speak to her from nearby.  
  
"Small Chan, give my brother the talismans. If you do not comply, you will be killed," said the mountain demon with a smile. With Tchang Zu and Dai Gui hurt, the little snacks would be hers.  
  
Then, Po Kong looked down in surprise and annoyance, as though she had been bitten by a mosquito. A small girl was kicking her repeatedly from the ground. "No!" shouted yin-Jade. "You leave her alone!"  
  
"Foolish girl," muttered Po Kong, flicking Jade aside. The girl landed in a heap, slightly dazed. Yang Jade smiled, her sister was acting as the perfect diversion. Feeling fully healed, Jade tossed the rock aside, and drew in a sweet breath of air.  
  
"Now you demons are going d-" Jade was knocked off her feet by a powerful gust of wind. She activated the power of the rooster, but t did no good. She crashed against the bulk of Po Kong and fell to the ground. She watched groggily as the belt around her waist floated slowly into Tso Lan's hands.  
  
"Thank you, Brother Xiao Fung," said Tso Lan softly. The wind demon gave a large, overly heroic smile and nodded.  
  
A stream of water rolled towards Jade and materialized into Bai Tsa. She was smirking again. This time, the pain in Jade's head did not go numb. "That was a very fine battle, small Chan," said Bai Tsa softly. "Unfortunately, it is over now."  
  
Hsi Wu looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but then realized that Jade's blood was now going to be spilled. He was starving, as he hadn't had a chance to eat since he had been banished to the demon realm thousands of years ago. His other siblings had eaten the few prisoners that had been sent during the years of their banishment. But despite his hunger and despite the fact that he was no longer going to have the satisfaction of watching his siblings bested, watching the slaughter of a human was always enjoyable to a demon.  
  
Po Kong lifted the two girls into her palm. "Hello, my delicious little morsels." Pinching the girls between her claws, she brought the hand to her gaping mouth.  
  
***  
  
"Wow," said Viper softly, her eyes wide. Jackie nodded in agreement. There wasn't much else to say. One minute, they had been surrounded by thick, red soup. Then, another yard, and suddenly. . .this.  
  
There were huge walls spreading as far as the eye could see, and climbing from the bottom of infinity to the highest heights. They looked almost like a waterfall, except that they glowed golden at times, sunset colors at other times, and occasionally a deep blue. But it was impossible to say where one color ended and the other began. The sparkled like diamonds, or sea foam, or liquid light.  
  
The walls were several hundred yards away, but there was nothing between them and the walls. Not blackness or empty whiteness or swirling red, just nothing. But crossing the nothing was a path made of white stones. The path lead to enormous doors of solid white marble. Embossed on the gates, in diamonds and sapphires in such a size that Viper's eyes nearly popped out of her head, was a giant horse.  
  
"Ah," said a voice. Jackie turned around and saw Uncle, being carried on Tohru's shoulders. "The horse. Symbol of Onacdr."  
  
Author's Note~ Well, Finally! Thanks for bearing with me, you guys. I really appreciate your patience.  
  
Exams suck, but at least they're over, and tomorrow I leave to go skiing! ^_^ I am now officially happy.  
  
Broli the Destroyah- Lol, it's not being finished quite yet, but is another chapter okay? ^_^  
  
Scottishwolf- Hah, someone who *doesn't* mind the cliffhangers! What was your favorite RotK scene?  
  
Miyo86- Why the evil cliffhangers? Because it's fun! And because they're good places to end. It just makes sense to end there, keeps you guessing. :p  
  
Souma Kagura- I love fics with demons too! ^_^ Who's your favorite?  
  
ShadowElfBard- Aww, you know I couldn't just leave Jackie & Co. stranded all alone! That'd be just too cruel.  
  
VampireNaomi- Ahahaha, you think you've outsmarted me, but in reality I anticipated your move well in advance. You are simply a pawn in my master plan. *evil laughter*  
  
Oh, one more thing (hehe). . . Does anyone else think that Déjà vu episode was just a cheap excuse not to write new material? And what's up with Jackie???? I thought he liked Jade! He was going to send her back to Hong Kong? I was going to write a bit the day I watched it, but it made me feel seriously anti JCA for a minute there. However, I've come to terms with the fact that it was a seriously OOC episode. C'mon, even Jackie admitted after the end of the first season that he'd miss Jade if she went back! I could understand if he was doing it for her safety, but just because she gets in the way! Argh! *thwaks Déjà vu Jackie* Jerk. 


	15. The Gates of Onacdr

Chapter 15~ The Gates of Onacdr  
  
Before long, each member of the J-Team stood before the massive gates. The dungeons of Onacdr had turned out to be smaller than Uncle had thought. He wondered why Jade hadn't seen these when she had been trapped in this realm. He supposed the demons avoided the gates- they were forged of some of the most powerful good chi magic in the universe. Fortunately, that meant that it wouldn't be difficult to open them. Just a bit of Chi magic. . .  
  
"Tohru!" commanded Uncle. "My blowfish?"  
  
"Uh. . .sensei," said Tohru awkwardly, "I do not have any of your supplies. I could not carry them with me when the plane crashed."  
  
"Aiyaa!" Exclaimed Uncle. "How do you expect Uncle to cast spells without magical tools? Uncle is very old man! Gets worn out quickly."  
  
Viper put a hand on her hips and gave Uncle an impatient look Uncle became one of the few people in the world who did not blanch under Viper's glare. He merely gave her an equally impudent look. "Look, can we get through, or not?" asked Viper impatiently.  
  
Uncle snorted indignantly, and muttered "Young hussy has no respect for her elders!" Jackie put his head in his hands and slumped down.  
  
"I heard that!" snapped Viper. Something about her expression indicated that she was getting ready to fight, despite Uncle's age. Something about Uncle's expression warned Jackie that this would be a quick fight.  
  
"You want a piece of Uncle?" asked the chi wizard. Viper had never see Uncle in combat. The elderly man was extremely good in the most annoying ways possible. The enemy would charge with some difficult move, and then Uncle would stand still until the last moment, finally thrusting a fist out and knocking his opponent out.  
  
Fortunately, El Torro decided to step in. He put a massive hand on the shoulders of both Viper and Uncle. "Mis amigos, this is not the time. There is no honor gained in fighting your own team."  
  
Viper grumbled to herself, but crossed her arms over her chest. Uncle raised his hairy brows and his glasses flashed, but he said no more to Viper. Instead he lifted his hands and cast a Chi spell upon the gates. They glowed green, and then began to open with a rumble. Uncle tried to hide the fact that he was having trouble catching his breath. Sure, he could perform magic without the aid of his tools, and he had often when he was younger. But it was not an easy task.  
  
The gates stood opening, laying before them the realm of Onacdr.  
  
***  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Jade matter-of-factly, looking Po Kong in her gaping mouth. Hsi Wu fluttered jeeringly nearby.  
  
"Why? Why shouldn't she eat you? Po Kong, eat them!" he said anxiously. He hoped she wouldn't just swallow them. Hsi Wu wanted to smell sweet blood again. It had been thousands of years, and he was hungry.  
  
"Oh, alright, then," Jade sighed, closing her eyes. "Eat me up if you really want to. Just wish I could see the look on your faces when you wind up back in the demon realm."  
  
"What? I do not wish to return to the demon realm!" exclaimed Xiao Fung angrily. "What does the child mean?"  
  
"Ignore her," advised Tso Lan. "She devises a trick for weak minds." The meaning couldn't be clearer- Tso Lan was calling Xiao Fung weak minded. Xiao Fung frowned, but didn't say anything. He just sat and pouted.  
  
"Perhaps so, my brother," hissed Bai Tsa, growing in size so as to be able to look down upon the twin girls. "But is it not possible that she who knows the secret of the talismans and is descended from the old Chi wizard knows something that we do not?"  
  
Tchang Zu stood up suddenly, surprising the others as they had thought him unconscious. He glared at the Jades with a mixture of fury and badly disguised embarrassment. No mortal child defeated the Thunder Demon, not even one in possession of demon magic. "Kill the girl! She is our enemy! We do not need the knowledge possessed by mortal children!" he screamed.  
  
"My dear brother," toned Tso Lan silkily, "I do wonder if our youngest sister might not be right. We should hear what the child has to say, if only because she is our enemy and perhaps knows of chi magic that may destroy it. And she volunteers so willingly! I do not wish to doubt your wisdom, Tchang Zu. . ." the moon demon ended deferentially.  
  
Tchang Zu thought about this. While he was a prideful demon, he was not quite as slow as most thought him to be. He liked being leader, but he knew that despite his seniority and great power, the only reason he was still in command was because his far cleverer brother lacked ambition. Tso Lan would rather live in solitude on the moon than rule his siblings. However, Tchang Zu knew that if Tso Lan wanted something and was asking in a way that wouldn't cause him any loss of pride. . .well, there was no sense in refusing.  
  
"You speak wisely, Tso Lan. Let the child speak. But let her remember her respect this time, or she shall taste the full fury of Tso Lan." Thunder crackled in the sky. Jade looked at it with a bored expression.  
  
"Okay, then," said the girl, looking tiny in the palm of Po Kong's hand. Po Kong looked rather displeased in being denied her dinner, and Hsi Wu looked disappointed. "See, my point is, if you guys try to take over the world, you might as well buy a one way ticket back to demon-ville. The world is totally changed, and you guys no longer stand a chance."  
  
"This is insolence!" thundered Tchang Zu. "You forget, we are demons! We have power you mortals couldn't imagine! Watch, child!" He waved his hand, and a massive, crackling bolt of lightning coursed between his fingers.  
  
"But that's the problem!" explained Jade. "We can imagine it! Tchang Zu, we learned how to capture electricity into wires and batteries. Look!" She held out a small object. . .Paco's stolen Gameboy. Tchang Zu looked dubiously at it. Jade flipped it on, and Tchang Zu's eyes widened. This game was using his mighty power to do something as trivial as make little lights and sounds. What magic was this? Jade continued to speak to all of them. "We have jets that can fly faster than Hsi Wu, and rockets that can reach the moon, and drills that can tunnel even better than Dai Gui, and pipes and faucets to control water, and fans to create our own wind, and bombs that would scorch even Shendu and skyscrapers taller than Po Kong!"  
  
"This cannot be true!" boomed Tchang Zu, still staring at the tiny Gameboy. "We are the masters of our elements! They cannot be controlled."  
  
"It is true," said Hsi Wu quietly, and this time no one silenced him. "I spent much time in the moral realm before the Chans imprisoned me once more, and I have seen it. The humans have mastered all of the elements."  
  
"This game. . .it is so tiny," said Tchang Zu. "The humans cannot defeat us with our own elements! They are so small and their lives are so little. We are immortals. They outnumber us, but each of us could easily handle several thousand humans. This should be more than enough."  
  
"No," said Jade. "They'll band together. They may not be able to kill you, but they'll restrain you, experiment on you, and then some Chi wizard will be found that can harm you. There're more humans in the world now. About 8 billion."  
  
Tchang Zu shook in disgust, but shrugged it off. "We will find a way. We are masters at adaptation. Now, it is time for you to die."  
  
Jade smirked knowingly. Tchang Zu looked confused, but Tso Lan smiled in understanding. "The child wishes to barter, my brother," he said softly. "What does she offer?"  
  
Jade stood up tall, or as tall as she could. "I can show you how to conquer the world. I watch the Sci Fi channel, so I know exactly how we're supposed to do it. You'll be the lords again in no time."  
  
The other child, who had been quiet before, suddenly spoke up in shock. "No! We would rather d-die than help demons h-hurt people!" she wailed fearfully. He sister frowned, then clamped a hand around the girl's neck, pressure-pointing her. The yin half of Jade fainted.  
  
"Ignore my sister. She's an idiot," explained Jade matter-of-factly. "So, how's about it?"  
  
"Wait," said Tso Lan. "We have not yet finished negotiations. What is it you wanted in return for the service? You beg for your life? The life of your uncles?"  
  
Jade smirked. "If I ask to go free, how do I know you won't come after me again? And I don't care about my uncles. I just want power. Do you know, everyone's always bossed me around, never let me have any fun. I wanted to kill you and take over the world. I now see that all of you are too powerful for me. So, let me be your general. I'll lead the troops into battle, I'll take my own risk, I'll deal with everything you want. I don't need anything in return, except your own conquer of the world. If I can't rule myself, then I'll at least be pretty damn high on the food chain. What do you say?"  
  
"No!" shrieked Hsi Wu. "She is dangerous, my brothers and sisters! She is not to be trusted."  
  
"I'm not the one who pretended to be your friend," hissed Jade under her breath. Only Hsi Wu heard, and he hissed dangerously in response.  
  
"She is a powerless mortal, Hsi Wu. One that offers to help at little cost," muttered Bai Tsa. "Do you suggest that you fear a mortal child."  
  
"No!" defended Hsi Wu. "Of course I do not. But she is clever, and very skilled at magic. She may very well betray us!"  
  
"Look," said Jade innocently. "Just gimme one or two talismans to fight with. You keep the rest. That way, I won't be a threat to you."  
  
"I like the child's plan," said Tso Lan softly. "I believe it would be wise to listen to her unusually advanced wisdom, but this is merely my opinion."  
  
"The child stays," said Tchang Zu, once again fulfilling Tso Lan's desires. "However. . .one of us must keep an eye on her."  
  
"Why not our brother Hsi Wu?" snickered Bai Tsa. "He does seem so fond of her, and he remembers the mortal's name. That is, if he isn't afraid."  
  
"I am not afraid of a mortal!" exclaimed Hsi Wu, springing into the air and spreading his wingspan to show his annoyance.  
  
"Very well," said Tchang Zu. "It will be your task to watch the young Chan, Hsi Wu, and your scales if anything should go wrong."  
  
"But I- I didn't- It's not. . .Very well," sighed Hsi Wu, cursing once again his permanent position as the brunt of ever demon joke. He nearly wished Shendu were here, so that they might focus on him rather than the sky demon.  
  
"What is our next course of action?" asked Bai Tsa, as much to Jade as to Tchang Zu.  
  
"Well. . ." said Jade, "Shendu's statue is in San Francisco. I suppose you'll be wanting to free him, but. . ."  
  
Bai Tsa shrunk to Jade's size and sat next to her. "Chan," the water demon hissed, "It is for the best if you suddenly forget you know how to free brother Shendu, and we will likewise forget any mention of him."  
  
Jade smirked and looked at her own annoying sibling. She liked the way these demons thought. She wanted to make sure she remained in their acceptance. "Then. . .to Hollywood! We will rebuild Tchang Zu's palace."  
  
Tchang Zu did indeed like the suggestion. The demons prepared to cross the ocean. Bai Tsa, Hsi Wu, Tso Lan, and Dai Gui could manage the cross easily. Tchang Zu would never accept help, so he would considerably slow down the company. Po Kong could travel through Dai Gui's subterranean tunnels, and Xiao Fung, although knowing it would be a tiring process, would hop, using the wind to keep him steady. This left the Jades. Yang Jade was carrying an unconscious yin in her arms. No one wanted to return the talismans just yet.  
  
"Hsi Wu," said Tchang Zu. "You will carry the mortals."  
  
Hsi Wu grudgingly picked the girls up in his talons. He then flew high up, and dropped them, catching them only just in time with a sneering "Ooops." Jade muttered to herself, but Hsi Wu smiled at his siblings and proceeded to carry the girls. As they were leaving, he muttered softly to Jade "You have gotten your way thus far, mortal. But beware. . .before long I will make you wish you'd been trapped in the dungeons with the rest of your family."  
  
"Whatever you say, Seymour," muttered Jade. "It's your scales."  
  
***  
  
Onacdr lay below. Very far below. The gates had opened several thousand feet above a yellow plain. The air around the J-Team was a piercing blue, surrounded by unbelievably puffy clouds. It was cold, and no one felt much like taking the first step out of the dungeons.  
  
The J-Team stood on the edge of the gates, except for Tohru who had muttered something about a fear of heights. This was understandable, as the view was magnificent and terrifying at the same time.  
  
"So, who wants to go first?" asked Viper with a raised eyebrow. Uncle did not respond, as he was analyzing the situation with a studious expression. Jackie knew that look meant he was moments away from declaring the need to do research.  
  
There was a blur charging through the air towards them- black and shiny as thousands of opals. As it came nearer, Jackie realized what it was- a dragon. Not the long, snakelike dragons of Chinese mythology, but a massive winged lizard like something out of European folklore. Jackie half expected a knight to show up.  
  
But none did. Instead, the dragon's talons reached out, snatching at the J- Team. "Uncle!" Jackie cried, seeing that his Uncle was being carried away by the dragon. He leapt after the chi wizard, but was held back by a force. . .  
  
Viper had grabbed his legs and was pulling him back in. "Either you've learned to fly, or that was really stupid." Jackie nodded. He wanted to save Uncle, but it had been stupid. These situations almost always ended with terrifying plummets to the ground below.  
  
"Jackiee! Do something!" said Uncle indignantly, being hung upside down. The old man had his arms crossed, and looked very inconvenienced. Suddenly, several other large blurs came out of the sky- more dragons! A reddish- black dragon grabbed Paco, and El Torro grabbed on to the dragon's talon. A smaller black dragon snatched Viper. Jackie tried to attack the dragons, but he too felt a talon about his waist. Tohru, ignoring his fear, charge with a shout, but was snatched by a glimmering green dragon.  
  
"Put me down!" shouted Jackie. He kicked at the dragon that held him, but it was of no use. The dragon was too strong for him to handle.  
  
Suddenly, there was a soft, melodic woman's voice. "Do not worry. . ." It was probably the most beautiful voice Jackie had ever heard. It made him want to fall asleep, or to dance and sing and write poetry.  
  
Suddenly, Jackie woke up from his daze. The dragon had let go of him, and the golden plains were rushing at him with astounding speed. The acceleration brought tears to his eyes. "Why meeee?" screamed Jackie as he fell into Onacdr.  
  
Author's Note~ Thank you for reading, everyone! Wow, 80 reviews. I'm impressed and honoured.  
  
Could you guys do me a favour? Go to my Bio and see the website listed there? It's a petition to bring back my other favorite show, The Zeta Project, which has been cruelly cancelled. Yes, yes, I know none of you probably have ever watched The Zeta Project, but if you could just sign pretending you like it, I'd be happy. In fact, sign for your friends and siblings, too.  
  
Why don't I make it worth your while? When you sign, list your location as 'San Francisco' so I'll know it's a JCA person. Although technically I should honor my word and do this anyways, if I get 5 San Francisco signatures, then I'll make this a Hsi Wu/Jade romance. If I get 10, I'll write a sequel. Unless you don't want a sequel, in which case tell me so in the comments, and I won't listen to you unless I get 15 no sequel people. Heheheh, blackmail. Sign, or I might just. . .write more!  
  
But seriously, if you do this I'll be eternally eternally grateful!  
  
Thanks so much! So, how about future Jade? Pretty spiffy, eh? I thought she was cool, but her head didn't fit her body. That was kinda creepy. And did anyone see J-Tots? Awww, mini J Team was so cool! Was Uncle not the cutest thing you've ever seen? "You want Uncle to defeat Chang and return J-Team to normal, yeees? Then you will stop for ice cream!" Okay, so it was pretty stupid. . .I liked it! Season finale next week, and you can bet I'll be there! 


	16. CyrRa

Chapter 16~ CyrRa  
  
Jackie was at home- not at Section 13, not at Uncle's, but the room he had lived in as a child, before he came to America. It was early morning and the hot sun hadn't come out yet, so the air was crisp and cool. The sky was dark, except for strands of pink on the horizon. Jackie was calm and in control, doing his breathing exercises with relish. He became aware that Jade was there, too, but she wasn't making a fuss or begging him to teach her cooler moves. She calmly did the exercises in synch with Jackie. Suddenly she turned towards her uncle, golden eyes fixed intently on him.  
  
"Look out," were her only words, harsh and low, before everything faded to blackness.  
  
Jackie wondered where everything had gone, but slowly the details of the dream trickled out of his mind, until all he could remember were a pair of intense amber eyes, trying to tell him something. Soon, even that was gone. Jackie sighed softly. His body felt numb and restful. He could smell some kind of wonderful botanical scent, and he could feel the softest blankets imaginable covering his body. His cheek had sunk into a deep pillow.  
  
"Chan Kong-sang?" said a soft voice in a sugar-sweet timbre. It was a woman's voice speaking. She pronounced his name perfectly, but her words had a barely noticeable accent that was hard to place. There was something wrong with the sound, as though Jackie's ears were muted speakers. "Wake up, Chan," said the voice in what seemed to be Chinese.  
  
Grudgingly, Jackie sat up, and opened his eyes. He saw a white blur, and then his eyes focused. He was lying on a bed made for a king. . .no, an emperor! The oh-so-comfortable covers were made of satin and dyed a royal red. The bed posts were an ornate gold with serpent-like dragons crawling up the edges, each with diamonds for eyes and rubies for flames. The walls were decorated with rich tapestries depicting heroes fighting the demons and great works of magic.  
  
Jackie suddenly noticed that he was dressed in a red bathrobe with golden embroidery. There was even a crown on the front. The entire room was covered with artefacts that appeared to have originated thousands of years ago from every known civilization. They were in brand new condition, and made the treasures of Tutankhamen look like Uncle's antiques.  
  
The archaeologist inside him wanted to jump for joy, until the male inside him took over. Standing over his bed was a young woman, but that didn't even begin to describe her. She was wearing a long white robe shaped like a druid's, which somehow managed to be very revealing. The dark hair falling down her back was the blackest and shiniest hair he had ever seen, her eyes were the bluest, her skin was the perfect color of a pink pearl from her thin, smooth face to her slender hands, to her bare shoulders, to her breasts, which just showed over where the robe barely clung to her chest.  
  
"Erg. . ." he said, and instantly met her gaze.  
  
"Good," said the woman, without a change to her poised, benevolent expression. Jackie thought she looked like one of the gently-smiling goddesses of Greek mythology. "You are Chan Kong-sang, then?"  
  
"No, I'm Jackie," said Jackie, turning red. "Oh, I mean, yes, I'm him, but call me Jackie. Everyone else does, at least since I moved to America, and I've lived here most of my life. See, when I was ten, my parents sent me to live with my uncle; my cousins did the same to my niece Jade when she was ten, except they didn't send her to my Uncle hahaha, well, actually, I still lived with my Uncle but they sent her to live with me of course, only she never listens and-"  
  
The woman put up a hand to stop him, and Jackie realized he had been babbling. However, she continued to smile sweetly. "I already know much about you, Jackie. I am CyrRa."  
  
"That's a pretty name," responded Jackie stupidly. "My name's Jackie Chan."  
  
"I think you may still be suffering the sleep-inducing effects of the healing spell I used on you, Jackie," said CyrRa. "But I thank you for the compliment, and I welcome you to Onacdr."  
  
The mention of the name for this universe brought Jackie back to earth. He sat up straighter. "Onacdr! Are you one of the Onacdrians? What has happened to my friends?"  
  
CyrRa smiled sweetly. "I am indeed Onacdrian; I am the high priestess and ruler of this realm." Jackie opened his mouth in awe and looked awkward, but CyrRa shook her head. "No, no, no formalities are necessary. You are our honoured guest here, Jackie. One of my warriors found you at the mercy of the dragons. She rescued you, and brought you here. She was able to rescue two of your friends, but the chi wizards and the small boy were carried off."  
  
"No!" shouted Jackie, leaping out of the covers quickly. "We must save them!" Jackie suddenly noticed the bathrobe he wore did a very poor job covering him. His face turned red, as he quickly tightened it. CyrRa didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't care.  
  
"Jackie, I assure you your friends are not in danger. The dragons will not harm them, at least not now. And all of the warriors of Onacdr will help get them back. But we need your help, Jackie Chan."  
  
Jackie sat down, his face slightly pale with concern. He was tired of everyone needing his help, and having to save everyone's lives. But his conscience would never allow him to abandon Uncle, Tohru, and Paco; nor would it let him turn down the people who had saved his life and treated him with such generosity. "Why do you need my help?" he asked wearily.  
  
CyrRa looked sadly around the ornate room. "Onacdr is known as the land of the origin of magic, Jackie, and because of this our lives are far longer than yours. I am nearly 9,000 years old, yet I am young for the people of our world. My father, the old emperor, used to inhabit this room. He was a good emperor, but in many ways weak. His passion was to spread Onacdrian knowledge to the people of your world. His work consumed him so that he did not realize that mortals of your world had corrupted the good Chi magic of Onacdr into dark Chi.  
  
"My father's servant Gesa became one of the many to practice darker magic. It was he who created the eight demon sorcerers to use to conquer the world. When the demons got out of hand, my father's warrior Lo Pei trapped Shendu in a statue as an example, and then taught earth warriors to capture the rest of the demons. They were imprisoned in our dungeons. To be safe, my father created his own servants, sixteen imperial dragons to protect Onacdr. They were able to fly through all your world, but only at my father's bidding. And then, they met Shendu. He told them of the joys of freedom, and promised to release them from my father's control. Since they were made of good Chi, they could help Shendu by passing easily between worlds. Shendu corrupted them, and slowly their Chi turned dark. Now, they have not even the power to leave Onacdr, but they have sealed it off for us, as well. They came to our palace and killed many of our people, including the emperor. They threaten to conquer our world."  
  
As she spoke these last words, CyrRa's eyes blazed with emotion. Jackie squeezed her shoulder on impulse. "I am sorry for your loss." CyrRa looked surprised, as though she wasn't sure what Jackie was talking about. Then, she snapped out of her daze and nodded.  
  
"I thank you for your condolences. Now do you see why you must help us?" She gazed into Jackie's eyes, and he felt his face catch fire.  
  
"N-no, Sorry. Why do you need me?" Jackie asked in confusion. It stood reason that everybody needed an archaeologist for some crazy problem. Part of Jackie's choice in profession had been a childhood obsession with Indiana Jones, but he had still assumed that archaeology would be a peaceful and rewarding job. He had been wrong.  
  
CyrRa spoke again. "You are known as a great earthly warrior. You have vanquished each one of the eight demons, a task not even our warrior Lo Pei could have equalled. And yet, you have also grappled with and defeated the greatest of dark chi wizards, both the queen and king of the Shadowkhan, and countless other ancient enemies."  
  
Jackie shook his head. "I am not a great warrior! I have always had help- Captain Black for equipment and man power, my Uncle and his apprentice to perform the Chi magic, my niece to solve the toughest puzzles and help me fight the bad guys! None of them are here now."  
  
CyrRa smiled. "Ah, Jackie, can't you see it is you who holds this band of warriors together? You have the honour, bravery, and strength of the greatest of warriors. We have faith that it will be you to defeat the dragons. But you will not be alone! We have the greatest of Chi sorcerers and sorceresses to help you on your quest. And your companions are here, as well. The young woman and the man with the interesting cloth on his face."  
  
Jackie sighed softly. "I still do not think I am a great warrior, but you have saved my life and rescued my friends. I will help you, but you must help me to save the ones that were taken by the dragons."  
  
CyrRa's grin spread across her face. "Ah, Jackie, there was never any doubt of that."  
  
Author's Note~ awkward!Jackie is so funny.  
  
From her perfect hair to her perfect toes to her ridiculous name, CyrRa seems to be Mary Sue incarnate. Sorry, but I need her, and I need her to be as she is. Don't worry, I promise she won't be anybody's love interest or anything. Plus, she's actually not as stupid and pathetic a character as she seems. And I am nothing like her, so don't get any ideas! See, if I made a Mary-Sue of myself, she'd surprisingly like Valmont. Bitchy, cold, calculating, sarcastic, arrogant, but sort of whiny. Heh heh. I actually have a nice side, but according to one of my friends, "There are three people who scare me most. My father, Hitler. . .and Rinne. My father and Hitler are scary because they have power, but Rinne has power, too." And this is my friend. She was actually serious.  
  
Chan Kong-Sang: Jackie Chan's birth name, according to his website. Never mentioned in the show, but aside from his history, I assume what goes for the real Jackie goes for Cartoon Jackie.  
  
Writing this story while ill earns the record for most creative use of spelling. Example, I spelled "grudgingly" as 'Graudgingerly' *waits for applause* Also, my computer is in its death throes. It keeps freezing temporarily as I write this. Seriously, about every three seconds it'll freeze for a second and then recover. So if words are missing or several letters gone, it's because I typed them while my computer froze. I think I fixed most of them.  
  
I wrote this story on Valentine's Day. How sad is that? I spent Valentine's Day writing Jackie Chan Adventures fanfiction. Valentine's Day is a cruel and unusual holiday. Actually, it's not as bad as it could be. I just had a big crush on this guy, although I've known for a couple weeks now that he likes this other girl, but I think I'm just about over it. So that's good. The problem is, my family loves V-Day. Everyone bought everyone cards and gave chocolates and made heart-shaped pancakes. Ug. I don't mind the chocolate, but I hate this stupid holiday! And it's made worse by my dear friend, who keeps going on and on about her boyfriend and telling me I should ask someone out. Right. Like, who???  
  
Sorry, I'm ranting. Oooh! Season Finale, so good! I still think Jade should've been the Queen of the Shadowkhan, but we can't have everything in life. Tohru was scary as the king. Um, wouldn't Tarakudo lose his power if there was another king?? Whatever. The cutest JCA line ever had to have been Jade's. Jackie: "Jade, what're you doing here?" Jade: "Sorry, Jackie, but I realized I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to *you*" All my Déjà vu Stone anger has evaporated with that line, as well as the identical line Jackie said to Jade earlier. And the fact that after that Jackie not only didn't get mad at Jade, he decided to let her come along. Isn't Super Moose the coolest? Jade should seriously buy a ton of good guy yet incredibly bad ass toys and keep them around just in case they're in a fight.  
  
I haven't actually checked the petition as yet, but although I still want you to sign many many times, I have to confess I'm planning to do a Hsi Wu/Jade shippy and a sequel even if everyone suddenly stops reviewing, starts flaming, and JCA is taken off the air. (Please, no! How many dreams must Kids WB destroy???) I just want to write it, since I have an idea of how it should go. I'll tell you now that the sequel will most likely be called "Black and White," will feature the JCA crew about 15 years in the future, and will include Drago's origins and the reason behind his hatred for Jade.  
  
I also have to say that elements of the story are starting to sound a lot like Ni Tang, but it's not my fault as I planned everything but the shippy before I even read Ni Tang. I'm trying to avoid it, but if there are elements in common, apologies to VampireNaomi!  
  
I finally saw "The Good Guys" today. I wish Finn Ratso & Chow could be good guys all the time! They made a really cool part of the team. I actually love the idea of them being Jade's sidekicks. The Angels joke was also pretty funny, although I'm glad it was short, it had the potential to become really annoying. Didn't you love the part where they're all lamenting about what they did before becoming the Dark Hand, and Ratso says "And I used to study theoretical physics." Heh.  
  
I want to post this now, but ff.net has disabled log ins, so it'll hafta wait. Sorry. 


	17. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Chapter 17~ Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch. . .  
  
"Well? Now what?" These were the scornful words spoken by Hsi Wu to Jade. They had just set their party down on Catalina Island, a small island not too far off the coast of Los Angeles, but far enough that no one would see them except the occasional camper who'd assume they were suffering from dehydration.  
  
"If you can't figure that out, then I suppose I have my work cut out for me! It's so obvious!" huffed Jade in annoyance at the bat like demon. Tchang Zu puffed out his chest in annoyance.  
  
"Hsi Wu, you disgrace all of your siblings," he said indignantly, giving a look to the others that made it clear he knew what she was talking about. The others mimicked that look, and Hsi Wu looked sheepish. But when his siblings weren't watching, he cast a suspicious glance at the girl.  
  
Jade picked up a brown rock and cast it into the ocean angrily. Hsi Wu was not as dumb as he looked. Truth was, she didn't have much of a plan, and this was grating her nerves. She was Jade. Not only did she always have a plan, she always had the best, most creative plans anyone could've come up with. And now, when it actually mattered and someone actually wanted her to plan, she was stuck. Come to think of it, her planning senses had completely failed her recently. It was as though it took awhile for thoughts to travel from her mind to her actions. She had known reading a spell from a random spell book was stupid, but she had done it anyways, just because she had wanted to.  
  
Oh, she would be the first to admit she did some pretty rash things. Well, okay, so Jackie would be the first to admit that, but Jade wouldn't deny it. She put herself in a lot of dangerous situations without thinking. Thing was, usually she then thought of a plan to get out of it. Jade liked to baffle people. They couldn't decide whether she was incredibly foolish or incredibly clever. The truth was, she was both. Jade's dark brows arched up. Yes, she was both, just as there was always that part of her that wanted to have fun and be selfish, and that part that wanted to help people and impress Jackie. Sometimes it was as though there were two different people inside her.  
  
She spun around suddenly, to the demon's interest. They had been waiting for the girl to make her move, but they had not expect her to advance so suddenly on her sister. "You!" the girl hissed. "It's your fault."  
  
The other girl blinked sanctimoniously. "I didn't do anything wrong." Unless it was Jade's imagination, her other half was becoming slightly bolder. If Yin had parts of Yang, did Yang have parts of Yin? Remembering her experiences with Tiger Jackie, Jade knew that this was so. But it didn't seem to be enough.  
  
"I need to have conference with my sister regarding the nature of the attack," said Jade innocently to the demons. This did not go over well. Every demon's expression screwed up in protest. But it was Hsi Wu who spoke first.  
  
"We can't leave her alone! She can't be trusted. It was stupid to even trust her this much!" he shouted, waving his wings frantically. Hsi Wu hated Jade for a reason which was totally unknown to their siblings. But Jade's eyes narrowed. She knew why. She was angry at him for betraying her trust and humiliating her, and he towards her for totally kicking his butt all the way back to the demon realm. Pride was at stake her, and pride was something the two of them had a lot of. Fortunately, other demons had a lot of pride, as well.  
  
"My brother, perhaps I heard you wrong," said Tchang Zu dangerously. "Did you just say that my decision to bring the small Chan with us was stupid?"  
  
"O-of course not, brother," said Hsi Wu, landing on the ground in recognition of his own defeat. "I merely-"  
  
"Good," snapped Tchang Zu. "Child, you may have a minute of conference. Most of we demons recognize the honor held between siblings, even if some do not. But if you try to escape, you and your sister will die."  
  
Jade nodded her agreement. It wasn't as though she wanted to escape, but she hoped she still could if she changed her mind. Her did she no longer posses her escape artist talents, as well? She pulled her sister into the bushes, hopefully out of earshot of the demons. She noticed several, including Hsi Wu watching them out of the corner of their eyes.  
  
"What do you want?" asked yin Jade calmly, not at all bothered that she had been dragged into the bushes.  
  
"I need. . ." Jade winced, "your help. Somehow, when we split apart, you managed to take along with the sissy part of me, the planning side. I can't think of a plan! Can you?"  
  
Jade's sister blinked, and looked thoughtful. "I have a plan how to rescue the J-Team. How about we do that plan?"  
  
"No!" exclaimed Jade, then lowered her voice. "Are you stupid? If we try anything, they'll kill us! And they can. I know! You help me take over the world, and I'll save the J-Team. Deal?" asked Jade desperately.  
  
"No deal! I can't help you hurt people. Not even to save my friends," said the other Jade, her eyes brimming with tears. "Besides, you already promised we'd save Jackie. So you're gonna do it anyways, right?"  
  
Jade raised an eyebrow. "Uh, sissy Jade? I kind of lied." Seeing her sister's shock face, she shrugged, and pointed at her and then to herself. "You good, me evil. Duh."  
  
"You're just going to let everyone die?" shouted Jade in horror. The other girl frantically shushed her. Fortunately, it actually helped Jade's case with the demons, they didn't care if everyone died. "Listen," continued yin Jade. "You have to save them! They're our friends! I know you have good in you somewhere, because nobody can be all evil, Uncle says."  
  
Jade shrugged. "No, I'm not all bad. Why do you think I've kept you alive for so long? But I don't even like the J-Team. There wouldn't even be a J- Team without me, but they're still always trying to boss me around. I'm glad they're probably dead. Now help me plan, or you'll find out that I'm still mostly bad."  
  
"I won't help!" screamed Jade. "How can you talk about our family like that!" She sniffled back angry tears, and then, without warning, kicked her sister in the jaw. The attack took Yang Jade completely by surprise. She fell backwards onto the ground.  
  
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" whispered yin Jade in horror, bending over her sister and extending a hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." Tears came back to her eyes. "I'm a bad, bad person!" she wailed. "Want me to find you an ice pack?"  
  
Yang Jade sat up, and delivered her sister a hard blow to the head. Jade fell back, and sniffed again, but this time because her nose was beginning to bleed. Without warning, the other girl pounced and began unleashing all the fury of Jackie's kung fu instruction on the other girl. Yin Jade didn't want to hit Jade again.  
  
She crouched down, hands on her head, wondering if she was going to die. She knew she should fight, Jackie was counting on it, but she just couldn't. She didn't like yang Jade as much as it was possible but a nearly completely benevolent girl could dislike someone. But she also knew that this girl had once been a part of her. When they were together, she acted bad, but she was still mostly good. It seemed the only way to save Jackie and the world would be to be reunited with this awful person. With that thought, she passed out.  
  
Yang Jade stood over the unconscious girl. For a few moments, she considered killing her, but couldn't. It was like Jade had said- she wasn't completely evil, but the good in her disgusted her. She wanted to be cruel and ruthless like the demons. But Yin Jade was so much a part of her- more than a sister, she really was her. Yang Jade could not bring herself to finish the deed. She dragged the girl out from the bushes. The demons were nonplussed, they understood sibling disagreements.  
  
Yang Jade's eyes narrowed. If she couldn't think of a good plan, she'd just do things her way. She played enough video games to be able to organize a perfect attack on the world as long as she had the right weapons, and the demons and talismans were perfect.  
  
"Okay, here's the plan," she instructed, then remembered her position. "If it, of course, suits you, my lord," she said humbly to Tchang Zu. She had to remember that although she was in charge of the attack, she was still a servant and an expendable one at that. "All of you change to human form, and we take a boat back to Los Angeles. Don't want to lose the element of surprise. Once we're in the city, we'll get cracking on the takeover. We can't just division off, though. We need to help together to have better luck. Los Angeles is a really important city, and the United States is a really powerful country, so if we're successful then it gets way easier from here since everyone will be properly scared. But if we fail, we go down hard. Got it?"  
  
Tchang Zu grinned, happy to approve this plan. Tso Lan looked ready to protest, for the thunder demon knew his brother as a demon of subtlety. And for Bai Tsa, the thought of taking a boat was incredibly demeaning. But once Tchang Zu gave his approval, everyone else grudgingly agreed. The plan was simple, brash, and required a lot of firepower. Tchang Zu liked it.  
  
Author's Note~ This chapter came out of a particularly bad case of writer's block. I couldn't for the life of me think of a good plan, and then it hit me- what if Jade couldn't either? ^_^ Oh, just so you know, I hate skipping between worlds, but I just had to set up the situation with Jackie last chapter. The story should focus mainly on Jade and the demons for awhile. In the long run, what goes on with Jackie is more important, but a lot has to happen on earth before the Onacdr plot moves forward much. But I may add a bit of Jackie stuff soon. I know exactly where the story goes from here on out, but some of the details and timing eludes me. Thanks for your patience. Oh, and FYI, the State speech qualifiers are coming up soon, so my schedule may get very disrupted. But on the brighter side, I just got a laptop, so I'll be able to write while out of the house.  
  
My parents once made me go to a week away camp on Catalina Island. It was camp hell on earth. Trust me, if I had seen a crop of demons camped out there, I wouldn't have even been surprised. Plus, the water around the island is all choppy, so I was taken quite seasick on the voyage. And I don't get seasick easily. Tohru would *not* approve.  
  
Now, for a brief session of Q & A with all of my most beloved reviewers! *hugs everyone*  
  
Vampire Naomi- You like CyrRa? *shrug* The whole reason I left her off so late is b/cause I wanted a loyal fanbase before I introduced her. I figured by this point you want to know what's gonna happen before you boycott me. Even I think she's kind of annoying, but there wasn't any other way to do her. But she does get more interesting later. Would I hurt Paco? Of course not. Don't worry.  
  
Souma Kagura- Well, don't worry, you've got your demons here. Lotsa demons coming up. ^_^ Yes, I have notoriously long Author's notes. After the story's done, I'll probably go back and edit them. They're long because I enjoy these little chats with my reviewers. I think you guys are the coolest *ever* and it's nice to be able to get to know you. ^_^  
  
San Fransico- Ooookay. . .well, Hsi Wu can turn human, so his mouth will get smaller. And no Viper/Jackie for a long while. That element is present in this story, but it isn't very important.  
  
DanMat6288- Aww, Lilo & Stitch. I just love that movie, to the point that my computer desktop is Stitch. I haven't seen many of the show episodes, though. I saw the Tank episode today, and you're right, it is like the Shadow Eaters. Never seen the Babyfier episode, but it makes me so curious? Who becomes a baby? Is it Stitch? Or Jumba? hysterics That would be so cute!/hysterics. I read your fanfic, btw, and have an idea for one of my own. I just need to think of a name and number for the experiment.  
  
ShadowElfBard- They so randomly changed the time of JCA from an early but acceptable 8:00 to *shudder* 7:00. Arg. I have friends who missed some serious episode-age because of the time change. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll put Season 4 into reruns any day now. I missed "The Good Guys" when it first showed, but I got all caught up. I will update indeed, never fear.  
  
Miyo86- Hmm, some of the things you said were interesting. *evil, knowing grin* Uncle, Paco, & Tohru are safe, but why were those three captured? Think on that. Also, some problems may throw a wrench into Evil Jade's schemes.  
  
Just a note: I have to go, since I have a huge research paper to write this weekend. It's eating my Saturday. Then, next weekend, when I would usually write a chapter, I have a Speech thing to go to. Shouldn't take all day, so I'll try to get a bit done. . .we'll see. But if I'm a week late, don't worry. I promise I won't take a month this time.  
  
Bye! Thanks for reading. 


	18. Chapter of Boredom

Chapter 18~ Chapter of Boredom  
  
Author's Note~ You could ostensibly skip this chapter. You wouldn't really have missed anything. I was fully intending for stuff of importance to have happened in this chapter. It didn't work out.  
  
Peter MacCloud sat on the edge of the docks, eating a tuna sandwich and gazing over the water. From here it looked amazing- shimmering and bright blue, with seagulls overhead and the occasional sea lion popping it's head out of the water and crawling on the white rocks to sunbath. He sighed. It certainly wasn't that pretty riding back and forth from Catalina to Los Angeles harbor five times a day with his boat filled with seasick tourists and screaming babies. He finished the last of the sandwich, licked the remaining tuna off of her fingers, and took a long drink from a water bottle.  
  
When he put the bottle down, he found himself eye to eye with a little girl. She was quite small, and he would've thought she was cute except she seemed to be wearing a strange sort of black leather, and was giving him a frankly disturbing stare. He nervously ran his finger through his sparse red hair. He didn't know how to talk to kids. It wasn't that he didn't like them- quite the contrary, in fact. But he and his wife had never had any of their own, and he didn't talk to them very often in his job. Nervously, he blinked and said  
  
"Well, hello there, little lady" in what he hoped was a friendly voice. The girl scowled, and Peter added as a nervous after thought "Can I help you with something?"  
  
The little girl suddenly stopped scowling, and said in an incredibly angelic voice "Excuse me, sir, but I really need to get back to Los Angeles. My friends and I are meeting my uncle there, but we don't have money. Could you give us a ride?" She cocked her head in a cute sort of way.  
  
Peter thought about this. He technically wasn't supposed to give out rides, but he had to get back to Los Angeles. He hadn't been carrying passengers today but supplies for the island's shops, and now that his boat was empty, helping out a little girl would be costless. He smiled at her sweetly. "Sure thing, princess. We shove off in twenty minutes, so bring your friend on board and we can go."  
  
"Okay, thank you!" grinned Jade, and then she skipped off. As soon as she was far away, she scowled and began to march towards a little shack labeled "Showers." There were two doors, one male and one female. Jade walked into the girl's showers. Individual stalls lined the walls of the shack. The air was dank and the walls had mildew and several spiders. Jade glanced around, and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, guys, come out."  
  
The doors opened, and the demons, now in human form, came out. Jade suddenly realized how dumb her hiding place was- if any woman came in to use the showers, she'd see five men standing in there. But it was too late now. . .Jade had to check the demons' disguises.  
  
There were many problems. All of the demons would've looked as though they were all part of the same Chinese family, except for some difficulties. First of all, only Hsi Wu and Xiao Fung were in modern day clothes, and Xiao Fung was wearing an orange prison uniform. The rest of the demons were dressed in long, ancient looking robes in patterns that resembled their coloring and powers. Then there was their hair- Tso Lan had a long ponytail. Po Kong had sparse hair in tufts like the top of her head. Dai Gui had horns and Bai Tsa had long, aqua colored hair in tentacles waving about her head like Medusa. Tchang Zu was well over seven feet tall and exceptionally muscular, and wearing battle armor.  
  
"No!" groaned Jade. It was pretty obvious there was something strange about these humans. There were strange people all over L.A., but they still didn't need any extra attention. "No!" she exclaimed again. "You're all wrong!"  
  
"What is wrong?" asked Tchang Zu, towering above his siblings. "Do you question our disguises?" he asked annoyedly. If he had to be a human, he was certainly going to be an above average one.  
  
Jade sighed, calming herself. "Look, you're disguises are. . .interesting. . .but they won't work for the plan. We have to be inconspicuous. We need to wear normal clothes and have normal hairstyle and be normal sized." She noticed Tchang Zu's glare, and added "I mean, you're so impressive looking that it'll draw attention." Several of the demons sighed, and then all hairstyles except the hair of Hsi Wu's became straight, dark, and very long. All of the clothes except Hsi Wu's and Xiao Fung's became simple but imperial robes. Tchang Zu shrank slightly.  
  
Jade sighed. Aside from Hsi Wu, the demons had seen very little of present day human culture. She wasn't sure how to explain. Then, she glanced out the window at the beach near the docks. There were people of all ages, races, and looks lying in the sand, swimming in the waves, playing volleyball on the beach or relaxing. "Listen," she said patiently. "Look at the people out there. We look and dress a lot differently today then we did back then. People usually don't wear robes, and men usually have short hair. But why don't you look at some of the people out there, and find a style you like. And Xiao Fung, please, not the prison uniform. It looks suspicious."  
  
The demons moved collectively out of the showers and peered at the beach. There was complete silence for a few minutes, and then slowly they began to file out to explore. They got some funny looks in their clothing, but Jade figured most people would just assume that they were wearing bathing suit cover-ups.  
  
"Pathetic," came a low whisper from behind Jade. She spun around, and realized that one demon had been left behind. He looked differently than Jade's memories of Seymour. He was not a little boy, but a young man probably in his late teens. She had to admit he had gotten the human look down. He was tall, but not so tall as to look out of place, and had only the light muscle tone of an athlete rather than a bulky warrior. His hair remained a gray color and kept the shape of his head, and yet somehow matched the kind of spiked style worn by the surfers of the area, not to mention he had a sort of scruffy beard the same as he had as a demon. He had developed a tan to match the beachgoers, and wore baggy jean shorts and a blue t-shirt that Jade had to admit was actually stylish. In fact, he was very handsome in a grumpy, moody sort of way. Jade suspected that many girls at her school would develop a crush on him. But she was too smart to fall for a demon. The real reason she was impressed was that he had managed to keep his style while looking completely human.  
  
"What's pathetic?" Jade asked conversationally, her guard up, an edgy tone to her voice. Hsi Wu didn't answer her at first, he just gave her an angry glare, as though he hadn't even bothered to notice she was there. Finally, he bothered to meet her eyes with his honey colored ones.  
  
"They are," he said angrily. "So obsessed with looking impressive and being superior and gaining power that they can't see the goal."  
  
"Well, if the goal *isn't* gaining power or being superior, what is it?" asked Jade smugly with a raised eyebrow. Hsi Wu shook his head and cast his golden eyes to the cloudless skies above.  
  
"The goal is freedom," he whispered ferverently. "But they forget that in all their foolishness."  
  
Jade was going to ask Hsi Wu to clarify, when she noticed someone approaching. It was a woman, tall, muscular, and strong but absolutely beautiful. She had bronze skin and stormy blue eyes, as well as white blond hair falling down her back in waves. She wore extremely tight blue jeans, sandals, and a white tank top with blue patterns on it. "I chose," said Bai Tsa with a smile. Jade gave her the thumbs up, giving Bai Tsa a confused look, but then she seemed to understand. Jade knew Bai Tsa's new look would still attract attention, but the form was perfect for the water demon.  
  
The rest of the demons began coming back. Xiao Fung was the first after Bai Tsa. His human form was exactly as it had been- a short and stocky man with an enormous chin and dramatic looks, but now he was wearing shorts, sandals, small sunglasses and a green Hawaiian shirt with blue-purple flowers on it. Jade suppressed a giggle, but knew that he'd fit right in posing as a tourist in L.A.  
  
Po Kong then returned. She was a middle aged woman, tall and extremely large and imposing. She had long, wavy dark hair and very green eyes, a large and rather cruel smile, and heavy mascara and lipstick. She was wearing a long dress, bright green, and boots with a scaly pattern.  
  
Finally, Tso Lan, Tchang Zu, and Dai Gui came back. Dai Gui and Tchang Zu were both obviously based on the muscular volleyball players- they lacked imagination, so had very nearly copied the looks of the young men. Tchang Zu was the taller of the two, with chin length blond hair and dramatically handsome features with a blue and yellow t-shirt and kaki shorts. Dai Gui was smaller with Hispanic features. He had dark hair, dark eyes, a rather stupid smile, and a t-shirt that said "Red Bull." Tso Lan, on the other hand, was tall but skinny and good looking in a geeky way. He had extremely pale skin, nearly black eyes, dark hair in a long ponytail, a red and gold sweater and very straight, pressed kaki pants. He didn't look exactly happy with his changed features, but Jade could tell he thought his disguise by far the best.  
  
"Okay, good, we all look really good," said Jade proudly, looking over the demons. "Now we had better get to the boat. Who has my sister?" she asked, looking around at the demons and seeing an absence of other young girls.  
  
"I'll get her," said Po Kong. The demon walks briskly into the showers, and came out carrying a little girl who appeared to be asleep. Po Kong could easily pass as a mother to Jade's sleeping sister.  
  
"Let's go!" shouted Jade enthusiastically, and they all hurried towards the docks except Tso Lan, who simply did not run, and Tchang Zu, who walked slowly and majestically behind. They were late reaching Peter's boat, but he had waited for Jade. When he saw her seven friends plus twin, he began to stare.  
  
"All of you need a ride?" he asked in wonder, looking them up and down. When he got to Bai Tsa he quickly stared at the ground. She grinned a slightly evil grin, that clearly said 'This is fun. . .'  
  
"Yep," said Jade, "These are my cousins, aunt, and uncle. It's a family reunion," she said simply.  
  
Peter shrugged, and sighed. "Well, alright, then. I'm Peter MacCloud, your captain, and I'll need to take all your names for company reasons," he said, and turned to Tso Lan, who Jade had indicated as her uncle. Tso Lan stared, and Jade tried to think of a way to give names for the demons without getting Peter suspicious. "Um, your name, sir?" Peter asked again.  
  
Jade gave Tso Lan a look, and he knew not to give his own name. He knew of many cultural names, but wasn't sure which were appropriate in modern times. "We are the Chan family," he said, giving a surname he knew. "I am. . ." he thought of the few modern names he had heard. "Valmont Chan."  
  
Peter frowned, thinking that Valmont was a bit of an odd name, but didn't comment. He then turned towards Po Kong, but before he could say anything, Hsi Wu stepped in. He had been the longest in the mortal world, and knew more mortal names than any of the rest. He began to name each of his siblings, using the names of students from Jade's class. "This is my Uncle Valmont, my Aunt Doris, and my cousins Anthony, Lauren, John, and Drew," he said gesturing to Tso Lan, Po Kong, Xiao Fung, Bai Tsa, Tchang Zu, and Dai Gui respectively.  
  
"Anthony?" muttered Xiao Fung. "I want a better name then that. Why can't I be Valmont?"  
  
"I would prefer to be introduced first from now on," instructed Tchang Zu, newly dubbed Drew. "And incidentally, as the oldest I should be the uncle and Tso Lan the cousin."  
  
"Okay," said Peter in slight bewilderment, nodding to Hsi Wu, who was the only one who wasn't acting as though these names were new to him. "How about you and the little girl?"  
  
"Oh, yes. This is Jade. She is a very distant and inferior cousin," said Hsi Wu, making Peter change his mind about him being the sane one. "And I am Seymour." Jade frowned at the insult to her, and practically snarled at Hsi Wu's chosen name.  
  
"Well, it's good to meet you all. Uh, Mr. Chan?" he said, nodding to Tso Lan. "Would you sign here please? Just a liability form." He handed the paper to Tso Lan, who scrawled 'Valmont' across the paper and handed it back to Peter.  
  
Peter pocketed the paper, and then smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you all. Welcome aboard. It'll be about two hours to Los Angeles, so make yourself comfortable." He walked into the ship's control room, leaving his passengers.  
  
As the boat left the dock, all of the demons followed Peter's command to make themselves comfortable. Xiao Fung instantly lay across the sofa, watching the television that was turned on in the corner with a bored expression. Bai Tsa walked out to the bow of the ship and stood in the spray of the water, looking jealously at the sea lions that played near the boat. Dai Gui found the luggage storage closet and shut the door, curling up inside.  
  
Po Kong began making herself at home at the snack bar, although presently she became seasick and sat next to Xiao Fung on the couch. Tso Lan found an unoccupied corner of the ship and sat meditatively, making things levitate. Hsi Wu made for the top of the ship, nearer to his domain, found found Tchang Zu already there, making himself look important. He was shooed back below deck, to the only seats not taken by a demon who found him annoying.  
  
Just a little girl. Neither Jade nor Hsi Wu was very happy about the seating arrangements. Jade crossed her arms and glared at nothing in particular. Hsi Wu still sat there. She sighed, and began drumming her fingers against the bench. He was still there. "Isn't there somewhere else you can sit?" she snarled. "There's plenty of other seats. Go sit with Po Kong or something."  
  
"I will sit where I please, mortal!" snapped Hsi Wu. He crossed his arms and stared angrily at the floor. A breeze ruffled his grey hair, and he sighed, looking out the window. Jade glared back, but then became bored with that. She continued drumming her fingers against the bench. Then, she began kicking her feet. "Stop that," muttered Hsi Wu in discomfort. She kicked extra hard. "Stop!" he shouted. "It is bad enough that I am forced to sit inside this horrible cabin, I do not also want to be annoyed by a puny human girl!"  
  
"Nobody's making you sit here," said Jade moodily. "Go ride in the lifeboat for all I care."  
  
"Shut up," said Hsi Wu. Jade glanced at him and felt an unexpected dose of the elusive yin in her. She realized that none of the demons would let Hsi Wu sit near them because he was the smallest, no one would stand up for him, and frankly he was also really annoying. She'd seen how they hit him around. But despite the fact that he was probably the demon she hated the most, she felt a surge of anger for his sake. She dealt with enough people at school who picked on her just because she was small, didn't have any friends, and was maybe just a bit annoying to them. She hated bullies even more than she hated Hsi Wu. But she was on the demon's side for now, so she merely followed his command, and shut up.  
  
It was boring. Jade was probably the most bored she had been in her entire life, including the time Jackie gave his abysmal presentation at school career day. She almost wished her sister was awake. . .then maybe she'd have someone to talk to. She glanced at Hsi Wu. He was staring out the window, and didn't look like he wanted to be disturbed. She sighed and lay her head in her hands. Hopefully they'd be in Los Angeles before she lost her mind.  
  
Hsi Wu:: Tso Lan:: Tchang Zu:: Bai Tsa:: Dai Gui :: Po Kong:: Xiao Fung  
  
Author's Notes~ 100 reviews! This calls for a celebration! My 100th reviewer is known only as '?'. Thank you, anonymous '?'!!!  
  
I truly meant to have finished with the battle of L.A. in this chapter, but I tend to ramble on. Still, I thought you might like me to stop and go into some detail about the demons human forms and why they choose them.  
  
I am writing this story on my new laptop! That's right! It is the most spiffilicious laptop in the world. *hugs laptop* Hopefully this will cut back on some of those long delays in my fics, since now I can write while I travel, in my room, on the couch, in the car. . .the possibilities are endless!!! Lol. Oh, just so you know, that long boring name bit wasn't completely random.  
  
Forgive me that this is late and isn't beta'd. I put writing it off until now, because I've been in a mood to write some Harry Potter fanfic lately. plugI don't know if any of you read Harry Potter, but if you have, check out my fics on my account, Rinnington. . I write mainly fics about MWPP, especially Remus, although I am writing a rather. . .odd parody fic about Mary Sues in HP fanfiction. I'd love to get a review from one of you./plug  
  
DanMat- Heeheehee, that baby episode sounds hilarious. As for your fic idea, I'll admit I'm not a big fan of crossover fics, but it does sound like a good idea. So, how will Jumba locate the tiger? Will Jackie and the crew be in it? Will it be in Kauai or San Francisco? We know how much Stitch has always wanted to visit S.F. Will Lilo meet Jade? These two have quite a lot in common with each other. Will Nani meet Jackie? Lol. They could hold a seminar on the strategies for raising disobedient little girls with a tendency to get involved in dangerous and unusual activities. You know what would be funny? If to stop Jumba, Lilo used the talismans. She'd have more powers than Stitch. I wonder how he'd feel about that. *grin* Tell me when you write this thing.  
  
Scottishwolf- Yes, you're right about Uncle and Tohru, and as for Paco, you'll find out later. Thank you for your compliment about the demons. I haven't seen most of the demon episodes in so long it's hard. For example, I watched the Xiao Fung episode awhile ago and realized I've been doing him wrong. But writing the demons is kind of fun. ^_^  
  
Yu Mutuo- Why, thank you! I read your fic "Trouble Follows Me," btw. I hope to read the rest of your stuff.  
  
Flamestrike- Hmmm. . .are yin and yang going to beat the demons, or will the J-Team intervene? Some new developments in chapters coming up will prove that one of these choices is an impossibility, and that there are worse things out there than the demons. That's all I'm going to say.  
  
ShadowElfBard- Let me know when you watch them! I'm curious. Oh, and is it just me, or did they replace JCA with Scooby Doo this morning? Why? Why would they do that? Is it just today, or. . . say it ain't so. . . forever?  
  
VampireNaomi- Lol, I thought the Jades fighting was kind of funny. I can just picture Jade fighting with herself in my mind. I can also picture L.A. under demon attack. *grin*  
  
Souma Kagura- In response to your question, partially, yes, but there's simply an undertone that reminds me a lot of Ni Tang. However, the one that concerned me is coming up, involves Paco, and was invented before I read a chapter of Heing Mei which includes something rather similar. I'll say no more. 


	19. Finally There Is a Plot

Chapter 19~ Finally There Is A Plot. . .Nevermind  
  
Captain Augustus Black leaned back in his desk chair, holding the newspaper between his hands. His bright green eyes moved quickly across the page, a scowl on his face as he took in the contents of the page. The lights of the office glinted dramatically off his bald head from where he sat, illuminating his serious face.  
  
"Captain Black, sir?" asked a voice from outside the office. Captain Black frowned, and his eyes narrowed. Standing at the door was a new detective, Detective Preston. Preston was a serious young man, who had just been transferred from the extremely tightly managed Section 15, and he knew about obeying orders. He had been told that no one was ever to disturb Black while he was reading the paper. But he also knew when things were too important for the Section head to not know about.  
  
"Morning, Detective," grunted Black, spinning around in his desk chair. "I know you're new, but you do know my rules regarding my morning paper?"  
  
Preston saluted, standing perfectly straight before Black. "Yes, sir, Captain Black, but I thought you might want to see this."  
  
Captain Black sighed, his brow wrinkling. Finally, his responsibilities as section captain took over. "Wait just one second, Preston." He folded the paper in half and lay it on his desk. Then, he stood up, and put on his long trench coat over his red sweater. Preston stood obediently outside, until Captain Black's paper caught his eye. "Sir?" he asked in disbelief. "You're reading. . .comics?"  
  
"Yep," said Captain Black sternly. "I read them every morning, each and every one. Except in emergencies, as I certainly hope this is."  
  
"B-but. . .you tell people not to disturb you. . .just so you can read the comics? It seems just a bit. . ." Preston remembered his discipline, and stopped, but Captain Black met him squarely in the eye with a scowl.  
  
"Listen up, detective," he said seriously. "You may mock them now, but my knowledge of Mary Worth has saved my life in more than one situation. There may come a day when you'll wish you'd never mocked the comics. Now, what does this important thing pertain to?"  
  
"I believe it may have something to do with the Chans," said Preston. Captain Black instantly forgot about Mary Worth. The Chans were his top priority right now. Just over a day ago now, Jackie had called him telling him that he needed the quickest possible flight back to San Francisco, and to keep on eye on the statue. Jackie knew better than to discuss Section business or Shendu over the phone, but it was obvious to Captain Black which statue was meant, and that something big was happening. And then. . .Jackie's plane had gone down in the Pacific. He had sent his best agents in to find any trace off the Chans, and he knew that they must have made it out alive. They had to have, because he simply wasn't ready to accept any other possibilities. Preston and Black walked through the Section halls as they spoke, at arriving Preston's desk.  
  
"Have you found them?" he asked eagerly. "Make sure they're all there. There were seven, you know, including two kids. . ."  
  
"We've found no trace of the Chans," said Preston. He noticed Captain Black's disappointment, but this was business. "Parts of the plane have turned up, but so far, no survivors or corpses. However, the aircraft appeared to have been blasted with some sort of torpedo. It's been smashed as though a powerful object tore through it, and there is damage that couldn't have merely been done on impact."  
  
"I knew it," said Captain Black softly, his fists clenching. "I knew it was no accident. We must find out who is responsible."  
  
"I believe we have a suspect," said Preston. "Some unusual data has turned up that simply cannot be coincidental. It looks to me that the plane was destroyed not for the purpose of silencing him, but instead as a tool of vengeance."  
  
"What!" exclaimed Captain Black. "Revenge? Why do you say that?" His eyes narrowed. Jackie was a very good man. It was not easy for him to make enemies. The ones he did have he had because of his work with Black. If the Chans had been killed because of Jackie's work with Section 13. . .Blacks lips set in a grimace. "What's your evidence, Preston?"  
  
Preston sighed and turned to his desk. "Sir, using DNA tests and the latest tracking equipment, we have managed to trace one, or possibly two, people who were present in the crash. The first DNA test displayed results belonging to a female, Chinese descent, between the ages of 8 and 13."  
  
Black's eyes widened, and he quickly turned to Preston. "You don't think it's. . ." He left the question unfinished, but his intention was obvious. Preston nodded slowly.  
  
"We are running further tests as we speak, but our scientists are 78% sure that the DNA belongs to Jade Chan. We have traced her DNA from the crash site to an island off Australia where a portion of the cabin turned up, to an island off the coast of Los Angeles. Whether she is alive or dead is unknown." Black's face fell at this news, but Preston continued. "What is troubling is the fact that Jade was not alone, but certainly not with a member of her family. DNA tests here were inconclusive- the DNA sample we took from the plane could be recognized as female, but showed traits more recognizable in aquatic creatures than humans. We don't understand this glitch, but it may have been caused by some sort of device to confuse tests such as ours. We can recognize very similar DNA on Catalina Island, and it appears very human."  
  
Black nodded, concerned for the girl's safety. He cared about Jade just as much as his friend Jackie. She was a troublemaker and a handful, that was for sure, but she was also a very good, sweet girl and he would hate for anything to happen to her. "Do you have any idea who these people might be?" he asked seriously.  
  
Preston sighed and played his trump card. "Just one. Research in the area shows that Jade Chan, the inconclusive DNA test, and several others boarded a boat headed for Los Angeles harbor. Here is their waiver."  
  
The copied slip of paper was gripped between Black's large, rough hands. He read it seriously, then his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. He put the paper in his pocket, his hand shaking with rage. Finally, he spoke just one word, echoing what was written on the piece of paper. "Valmont," he muttered, and then stormed off down the halls.  
  
***  
  
A gaping hole in the wall opened, and an armored truck backed up inside. Guards stood on either side of the truck, guns ready to fire at any unauthorized movement. The hole closed up, and the truck rolled to a stop. The guards all positioned their rifles on the truck door. It opened, and several other guards stepped out. In their midst was a British man in his thirties with long, white blonde hair, an orange prison uniform, and handcuffs. He was led down the corridors to a small, dark room, without windows and having bars on the doors.  
  
A small smile crossed his lips as Captain Black paced the corridor, a glare set on his face. "Ah, Black. I thought this little summons was your work. Now, whatever could I have done to warrant this business."  
  
"I don't have time for your games, Valmont," said Black in a business like tone. "Where are they? How did you wreck the plane?"  
  
Valmont yawned, knowing how much this was distressing his enemy. "I really don't know what you mean, Black. Can we make this quick? I'm missing prison movie night, and I do love that Harry Potter," he said with a patronizing smirk.  
  
Black growled, and even Valmont looked slightly concerned. Obviously he hadn't been kidding when he had said he didn't have time for games. Pressing the barrel of his gun against Valmont's temple, he said in a low, dangerous voice "Where are the Chans?"  
  
Valmont's eyes widened, and a grin spread across his lips. "Ah, so that's what this little game is about," he said silkily. "Someone has kidnapped poor Jackie Chan, and now you are blaming me. I must be cleverer than I look, to have executed all of this from my prison cell."  
  
"I know your enforcers are still on the loose, Valmont, and I know they would never have come up with this themselves. Plus, I have proof. Does this look familiar?" snarled Black, showing Valmont the waiver bearing his name.  
  
"Hmm," said Valmont sarcastically. "Well, then, obviously I am responsible. After all, if I were attempting to kidnap Chan and escape your agents, I would certainly sign my real name."  
  
"This is one of your little practical jokes, Valmont. I know your style. It's just the same as when you nearly killed me, and then were so kind as to send flowers to my hospital ward to infuriate Jackie," Black muttered.  
  
Valmont frowned. "And it's completely impossible that someone else would've signed my name to incriminate me. I'll admit it may be my style, but unfortunately, it is not my signature. Check the court records if you wish."  
  
Black knew he wouldn't have to. He felt like an idiot. He had been so ready to believe that it was Valmont who hurt his friend that he ignored the obvious answer. Jade had been captured by someone who knew that Black's suspicion would easily fall on Valmont.  
  
There were a series of rings to the tune of the Mission Impossible theme song. Valmont smirked, but Black, unabashed, answered it. "Black," he said gruffly. Then, his eyes widened slightly, and he stared at his phone, as if unsure this wasn't an elaborate prank. "Are you sure?" he asked, then nodded seriously. "Alright. Prepare our agents to be jetted to Los Angeles." With that, he closed the phone, and turned to Valmont. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. You're still my prime suspect." He dashed off down the halls.  
  
"Oh, well," muttered Valmont. "I guess I'll never find out what happens to those poor little wizards." He slouched back in his cell, bored. After a few minutes, a cart stocked with cleaning supplies came into the room. It was driven by three very ugly women in baggy dresses, sanitary masks, and wearing scarves over their heads.  
  
"Cleaning service," said one of them in a high pitched voice. Then, they proceeded to check every cell, noting that all except Valmont's were empty. Valmont narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't quite right here. His suspicions were proven right when the first maid pulled out a laser and cut through the lock. Then, the second and third maid grabbed Valmont under the armpits and pulled him out of the cell.  
  
"Excuse me!" he said indignantly. "What is going on?" The maids set him down, and he brushed off his uniform with great dignity. "I'm beginning to doubt this is a cleaning service," he said dryly.  
  
The maids grinned at him, and removed their masks. A satisfied smirk spread across Valmont's face as the first 'maid' responded "You got that right, Big V."  
  
"What are you gentlemen doing here?" Valmont coolly asked of his three enforcers, obviously pleased with them for once.  
  
"Well," said the first maid, the red-haired enforcer Finn, "We've tried chi wizards, demons, and even the Chans," he said, looking disgusted at the last.  
  
"But we just haven't found any work as satisfying as our work with the Dark Hand," quipped the second maid, the small, skinny enforcer called Chow.  
  
"Aww, that rhymes!" added the third enforcer, the slightly dull-witted Ratso, with a grin. "It's true, too."  
  
"When we were with the Dark Hand, we were never turned into Dark Chi Warriors or made to wear shock cuffs," said Finn, obvious gratitude in his voice. "And you even tried to save us from that scary old chi dude."  
  
"Plus, we got excellent dental," added Chow thoughtfully. The other two enforcers nodded in agreement with this.  
  
"And you were so cute when you were little!" said Ratso in glee.  
  
"So, how exactly do you plan to get me out?" asked Valmont, raising an eyebrow. The three enforcers grinned, and Finn patted the laundry cart invitingly.  
  
"Hop on in, V. We'll roll you out," he said. Valmont stared at the dirty laundry cart in horror. Although he was not wearing his Armani suit, thankfully, he was certainly not about to crouch about in an old laundry basket with Black's undergarments. He had his pride.  
  
"That's absolutely disgusting. I refuse to ride in there," he said simply. Finn, Ratso, and Chow shrugged.  
  
"Well, I guess you could dress up like a maid, and Ratso could ride in the cart," suggested Finn. "He doesn't mind."  
  
Valmont considered this. Wearing women's clothes, even in an attempt to escape, did not appeal to him. Some of his fellow crime lords had been getting ideas about Valmont, and whether or not they were true, it was not a reputation he needed to have. Gossip had spread about his "sorcerer's gown," and if anyone were ever to find out he had worn a dress, he would lose the little respect he still had in the underworld.  
  
"I have a better idea," said Valmont shortly. "When I spoke to Black, he had just summoned all of his agents to Los Angeles. I'm prepared to bet that no one will even notice if we just slip out."  
  
"Fair enough," agreed Finn. "After all, no one noticed when we slipped in wearing maids outfits even though Section 13 doesn't actually have maids. They even didn't notice when Ratso shouted 'It's Captain Black! Run! Oh, wait, sorry, it's just another agent' aloud."  
  
Valmont rolled his eyes. He remembered now why he had been so exasperated with his enforcers while they had worked for him. But, he reminded himself, good help was hard to find, and you couldn't beat their loyalty. Although annoying, Finn, Ratso, and Chow were worth keeping around. He'd just have to find a fourth, competent enforcer to do what the other three weren't capable of. Tohru had done this job well, but he was unavailable. Perhaps Hak Foo would still fight for him?  
  
Valmont put these thoughts aside and led the way through Section 13, despite not actually knowing where he was going. His three enforcers obediently followed. He had gotten far without seeing any agents, and was sure he'd find the exit soon enough. That was, until he heard the low whisper of a painfully familiar voice.  
  
"Valmont?" hissed the voice. Valmont winced and rubbed his temple. The voice gave him a headache. He had hoped, apparently beyond hope, that he would never have to hear that horrible, complaining, commanding voice ever again. He had been a slave to it for months, and he hated the very sound of it. "Valmont, come in here," spoke the voice. Valmont turned. He was so used to not being able to stop the voice's commands that he simply had to obey.  
  
The voice came from within a huge vault before him, the door left, for some reason, wide open. He'd been in here once before, briefly, when Chan's niece had taken the fortress as her palace. But he was disappointed to see that there were no talismans in here now. He was even more disappointed to see a familiar golden statue bound in a cell.  
  
"Shendu," Valmont acknowledged with a groan. "Of course you're here," he said in annoyance. "Of course." Valmont's life had been heading rapidly downhill since the day he met Shendu, and no matter what he did, Shendu would never be gone from his life for good.  
  
"Ah, Valmont, I am very pleased to see you," the draconian statue hissed, eyes flashing red. "I would like to ask you to do me a service."  
  
Valmont frowned. "And why exactly, Shendu, should I help you?" He wanted to walk out of the room, but Shendu had some strange hold on him, and he found he couldn't leave.  
  
"You will find, Valmont, that if you help me, it will be very worth your while," said Shendu, and Valmont could hear the sneer in his voice.  
  
"Is that so, Shendu?" asked Valmont silkily. "Is this reward anything like the treasure of Chin Shi Huang?"  
  
The strange sounds emanating from Shendu sounded almost like a chuckle. "You have your doubts. Listen to me, Valmont. My siblings have been awakened. I can feel their presence. And even more. . .darker creatures are stirring. You will want powerful friends, Valmont, and I am a very powerful friend indeed."  
  
Valmont paused at this, considering. He didn't know about demons and dark stirrings, but after many years as leader of the top crime syndicate in the world, he knew about the advantage of good alliances. Shendu had proven, of course, that Valmont couldn't trust him, but as long as Shendu's favor didn't put him at too great a disadvantage, it mattered very little. "What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked, a note of skepticism in his voice.  
  
Shendu's tone told of a smirk. "I knew you would come around," he responded.  
  
"I haven't agreed yet," said Valmont pridefully.  
  
"I merely wish you to alert my siblings to my presence here in Section 13. They obviously do not know where I am, and I will require their skills for my freedom. The old chi wizard has put some sort of spell on my statue, so to break free I will need either both the talismans and dragon's teeth, or a counter spell performed by my brothers and sisters." Shendu hissed in distaste against the chi wizard who had imprisoned him. "I do not know where they are, merely somewhere to the southeast of here. But I'm sure they will not be difficult to find."  
  
Valmont smiled to himself, fairly sure he knew where Shendu's siblings would be. All of Section 13 wasn't summoned to a city without very good reason. "Perhaps I will help you, then. But why exactly should I risk myself and my men among your siblings? How can I be sure you'll keep your promises?"  
  
Shendu hissed softly. "You have little choice. I may not possess many of my former powers, and even my Shadowkahn minions have been taken from me." He hissed in disgust. "However, you may find I still have some tricks left. I urge you to attempt to run, Valmont. I know you have been trying to leave, but you cannot. As you were my host for nearly a year, I still possess a great level of control over you when we meet in person. You may be able to resist me for awhile, but whether or not you help, my siblings will eventually free me."  
  
Damn, thought Valmont. Shendu was right. He found his legs may as well have been glued to the floor for all that he could escape.  
  
Shendu must have known Valmont's concern, because his voice had an added smirk to it. "Of course, if you are useful to me, I will release you from your bonds and give the Dark Hand a permanent place in our new world order.  
  
"Whatever you say, Shendu," said Valmont annoyedly, knowing he had lost his bargaining edge and merely had to go along with the dragon's wishes. "Finn, Ratso, Chow, there's been a change of planes. What are our contacts in Los Angeles?"  
  
"Yes. . ." hissed Shendu softly.  
  
At that moment, seven jets flew low in the sky, over a thick cloud cover. They were all black except for an American flag insignia on the tail and the number 13 below it. One by one, they landed in the hills surrounding the city of Los Angeles. Captain Black stepped out of his plane, speechless at the sight that lay before him.  
  
Author's Note~ *wince* I know, that was an incredibly cruel place to end the chapter. Especially when I promised a battle in this chapter. I truly meant to. . .that "Nevermind" wasn't originally on the chapter title. But I went off an a completely random seven page Valmont tangent. He wasn't even originally going to be in the story except for the cameo earlier on. In case any of you were wondering, Valmont was put in jail somewhere in the first 5 chapters of this story. Finn, Ratso, Chow, & Hak Foo were also caught, but they had escaped. If there's one thing those guys are good at, it's escapes.  
  
But no complaints! Valmont is cool, and I actually really enjoyed this chapter. It's always nice to shift perspective a little bit. Hope Valmont and his enforcers weren't too OOC. Plus, I had to have this Shendu sub plot in the story somehow. Although it's not very important.  
  
Sorry this story was late, but I couldn't put it up because I was spending Spring Break in San Francisco! ^_^ It was a JCA enthusiast's dream come true. I'm actually typing in the San Francisco airport as we speak. I visited Chinatown and looked (in vain, although I know it is somewhere!) for Uncle's Rare Finds, then started checking out random phone booths for Section 13 access. I didn't even find Valmont. :( But it was so fun! I love this city, it's so beautiful. Not all sunshine as so many TV Shows and movies would have you expect, but this great big city in the middle of these beautiful green hills and loads of water. We don't get green much in San Diego, since it gets so little rain. I planned to take pictures of all the JCA related landmarks I could find, but we forgot the digital camera. . Still, good times. :D  
  
Heeheehee. . .I just downloaded desktop Stitch. If you give him coffee, he goes crazy and eats your documents. I'm easily amused. If you squirt him, he acts all good. Aww! Now he's surfings and dressing up like Elvis.  
  
*cough* Yes, yes, posting the story. I'm getting there.  
  
Scottishwolf- I wish I could take credit for spiffilicious, but that word was popularized by my friend, Spooji. She comes up with all of my odd language. I most definitely agree with you on the masks, plus I'm not exactly a Tarekudo fan. I, too, miss the Pan Ku days. Demons and talismans were the height of JCA, although I've always liked those random season 2 episodes that had nothing to do with demons or talismans, or even occasionally the dark hand.  
  
Souma Kagura- Thank you for clearing the Scooby thing up for me, I was getting worried. I actually thought the chapter was funny too, but I was just frustrated that the plot hasn't been advancing forward. I love this chapter, although it, too, is slightly pointless.  
  
ShadowElfBard- The head creeped you out too, did it? I liked that episode, but it was pretty weird. As for Drago, I too was confused, but I'm glad for that confusion. It gave me the idea for the plot of the sequel to this fic, which I really must write since this one will leave so much unsolved. Although info on TV Tome about Season 5 promises to make this fic and the sequel very AU. Oh, well. The disguises were fun. Okay, I was a big Scooby fan when I was younger, but even the small child in me is repulsed by the Kids WB modern day version. The only thing redeeming about that show was its cheesiness and its era. . .the modern attempt to make Scooby cool is sickening. Scooby wasn't that great an idea, and that's why it was so popular- it embraced it's badness. *sigh* Why won't Kids WB understand?  
  
DanMat- Wow. That sounds like a pretty cool idea. I especially wonder about Parry. He interests me. For one thing, the name doesn't sound very Chinese. How long has he lived in America, does he know chi magic, and if so, where did he learn it? What will Gantu's role be in the story if he doesn't work for Hamsterviel? I'd really like to read this, so I hope you get writing. ^_^ Oh, and you mentioned Ratso & Finn. Where's Chow?  
  
VampireNaomi- Thank you very much for your review of my story, A Late Night Cup of Tea. It was great fun to get a review over there from a writer I know from JCA and who's opinion I respect so much. I know what you mean about Riddle. I've long wanted to write a Riddle fic, but I've yet to have an idea, plus I fear I'll get the character wrong or give into too many Riddle clichés. I loved Xiao Fung's disguise, too. Living in Southern California, I see too many hapless tourists who pack as though they're heading to the tropics. It's actually quite cool here, contrary to popular belief.  
  
Yu Mutuo- Sorry this update wasn't very soon. . I've been bad about that lately, and it doesn't look as though it's getting better. But I see the light at the end of the tunnel. . .only eight more weeks of school. Wow. . .that's only four more chapters until summer. Freaky.  
  
Thanks for your patience, people. I'm pretending I updated last weekend with this Thursday night update, but chances are I'll still be late with the next one which technically should be up next weekend, since I'm going (again) out of town. I've become a social person, which is weird for me.  
  
Oh. . .Chin Shi Huang, is that right? The treasure Valmont is promised by Shendu as a reward for his help in Season 1? Got it off a fansite. 


	20. The Battle

Chapter 20 The Battle  
  
Augustus Black had entered government work at twenty six, straight out of college. After only two years, he had become the section's undisputed expert on organized crime. After three, he had discovered the existence of the organization the Dark Hand, and the identity of its leader. After seven years, he had been made head of Section 13. During his time on the job, he had seen many things most men his age had only flinched at in a movie theatre. He'd been at the heart of confrontations with dangerous criminals, seen violent deaths of his co-workers and friends, and been the first two witness new weaponry invented by the greatest criminal masterminds of his time.  
  
He had never seen anything like this. The city of Los Angeles lay before him, like the ruins of the kind of ancient temple Jackie frequented. Its mighty skyscrapers were in ruins, it's highways overturned, the steady hum of traffic gone. Instead, despite the blasts and screams and sounds of battle, everything was strangely silent.  
  
"What happened?" whispered a voice beside him- Detective Preston stepping out of the helicopter. Captain Black only shook his head, his forehead bowed to the ground. It was all too clear what was happening- the demons had sacked the city. Their forms still moved below, finishing off whoever they could find. The smell of blood lay thick in the air. Captain Black could've hit Preston, for he didn't seem awed. Instead, he was peering into the air at a bat-like demon, as though trying to figure out whether or not it was actually there.  
  
On the other hand, the demon form bore more inspection. Captain Black didn't remember the names of the demons well, but he thought this one might be the one called Hsi Zu. But in his talons was a young girl. . .Jade Chan.  
  
"Preston," said Captain Black sternly. Preston stood at attention. "Call in the C.M. Units. Then, get me a helicopter. We're going to have a word or two with Jade."  
  
Hsi Wu sighed with happiness. The wind whipped along his scales, and he flicked his tale in response. It was so good to be flying again. So good that he didn't even care that he had to be a scout with the obnoxious human instead of joining in on the feast. His siblings would've called him a fool, but he loved flying even more than bloodshed. What did they know? Yes, he knew that all of them had been made for he noble purpose of destruction, but Hsi Wu wasn't quite like the rest. He had been created last of all, the youngest and smallest, with a power seen by most of them as useless. There was already a wind demon, so why a sky demon?  
  
None of them understood the sheer joy of feeling the wind rushing beneath you, pushing your wings up as gravity weighed you down, of swooping and gliding in the crisp blue air. Looking at it from that regard, the small Chan wasn't so terrible. If she weren't an insult to him and his blood, then she would've been tolerable. After all, he had seen the way she could fly. It was blasphemous, his element being used by a mere mortal. . .And yet, Shendu himself, master of the talismans, had never flown like that. She appreciated it, in an insolent way, but appreciated it nonetheless. He frowned speculatively at the thought.  
  
"Hey, demon breath!" shouted Jade above the roar of the air. Hsi Wu's frown lost its speculative air.  
  
"What, mortal?" he asked, peeved at being interrupted, although not nearly so peeved as he looked. Hardly anything could interrupt his good mood when he was flying again.  
  
"I think we should check out the south side again. Looks like Xiao Fung fell asleep." She rolled her eyes. "Again. Is he always like this?"  
  
Hsi Wu nearly snapped at her for speaking ill of his family, being so inferior to they, but his heart wasn't in it. After all, she had a point. "Yes, as a matter of fact," Hsi Wu smirked. "I remember when all eight of us ruled this world. Tchang Zu had to take over Xiao Fung's kingdom, because he was always either napping or eating, and the people revolted. They weren't about to allow some humans to defeat a sibling. It is too bad Shendu was defeated by Lo Pei the very next decade." He laughed slightly at the memory as he swooped down towards where Xiao Fung lay napping.  
  
"You don't like them much, do you?" asked Jade, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"How could you tell?" said Hsi Wu sarcastically. He frowned. "I know they are my family, and I know that I have a duty to uphold their honor, but I do not like them. None of them respect me at all. I am the smallest of them, and they mock my element. The only one they hate more is Shendu. The hierarchy is so tiresome, as well. It is obvious that Tso Lan is most intelligent and greatest at magic, and Bai Tsa the most ruthless, and I the best at making plans, and yet Tchang Zu is leader simply because he was first made and has most power. And yet if anyone dares criticize the leader, all the others turn on him. They are all so foolish. Even Tso Lan is a fool. He would turn the earth into a desert wasteland because it pleases him, and he cannot see all that it has to offer."  
  
Hsi Wu spat at the ground, and then was greeted with silence. He suddenly realized that he had been speaking to Jade, and cursed under his breath. He had shown weakness to a mortal. And not even a great warrior, but a female child. He didn't speak and neither did Jade, which was fortunate. He was angry now, at himself for being so stupid and at his siblings for the memory of all the wrongs they'd done.  
  
Suddenly, Jade spoke, surprising Hsi Wu. "I know what you mean." Hsi wu didn't respond, hoping to convey that she was hardly worth his attention, but she continued, just as oblivious to him as he had been to her. "I mean, I come up with all the best ideas. I'm always the one that thinks of how to beat the bad guy get back the talisman. I've got the plans, the connections, and the most wins. But stupid Jackie treats me like I can't do anything, just because I'm 'too young.'" Hsi Wu didn't respond, but a second later, he glanced down at the girl and gave her his speculative frown once more. However, he didn't speak, and there was an awkward sort of silence.  
  
And then there was a gust of wind. Hsi Wu initially thought of Xiao Fung, and then there was the unmistakable chopping noise made by a human flying device. Hsi Wu scowled as the black helicopter approached. He hated these human devices intruding upon his element, ruining the currents.  
  
Standing outside the window was a bald human male in a long black coat. Hsi Wu frowned. He didn't know this human, but he did remember two things- he loved red socks, and he was on the side of Chan. The other Chan.  
  
"Jade!" shouted Captain Black above the roar. "Don't worry, we're here to save you!" He beckoned to her, although he knew she was currently dangling in the claws of a demon. Preston watched from nearby, searching in futility for the hinges on Hsi Wu.  
  
Hsi Wu considered this. He could give the girl to the human and be rid of her. He frowned. "Go away. The young Chan is property of my family," he shouted.  
  
"Get your claws off her!" said Captain Black, fist clenched in fury.  
  
"If you wish," shrugged Hsi Wu, letting go of Jade. She began to fall, Captain Black shouted something in a panic, and Jade glared at him as she fell. Since she no longer had any talismans with her aside from her half of the horse and the pig, she couldn't stop herself. Hsi Wu swooped and caught her.  
  
"That was stupid," she said mildly. "Don't do it again."  
  
"I would've caught you," defended Hsi Wu. "Besides, you didn't seem too upset."  
  
"I've ridden the Puke-inator at Moose World over fifty times. It makes free falling seem like a picnic, trust me," responded Jade. Hsi Wu had no idea what a Puke-inator was, but it sounded like his kind of ride.  
  
"Shall I take care of the human?" asked Hsi Wu, then shook his head. He hardly needed a mortal's permission.  
  
"Go for it," grinned Jade evilly. Hsi Wu put her down on a rooftop, and then flew at the helicopter, ramming into it. He may not have been big, but like all demons he was tough. He impact briefly knocked the helicopter out of its orbit until the blades stood still, but they started up again.  
  
"Fire!" shouted Captain Black, and several blasts were emitted from Preston's gun. Hsi Wu watched them. They whirred towards him, looking like some odd creation of Tchang Zu's.  
  
"Hsi Wu!" shouted Jade. "Look out!" The blasts hit Hsi Wu, knocking him into the wall and ripping through his body. As a demon, mortal weapons couldn't kill him, but they could certainly hurt. Jade winced in sympathy. Hsi Wu's body began to heal, as Captain Black reloaded. . .  
  
Suddenly, a bright red beam shot at the helicopter. . .out of Jade's eyes. She was using the pig talisman, giving Hsi Wu enough time to heal and attack again. Captain Black was so shocked at Jade's betrayal that he never saw Hsi Wu coming. The sky demon with one crash bent the helicopter in half, and with another ripped off the propellers. He began to get pulled down with the helicopter, but he pulled up at the last moment and flew into the open sky. The copter crashed to the ground below.  
  
Jade whooped and thrust a fist into the air. "We kicked Section 13 ass!" she said triumphantly. Hsi Wu grinned at her in return, then picked her back up in his claws.  
  
"Now, let us find brother Xiao Fung?" he said with a smirk.  
  
"Shouldn't be too hard," she said, and they both laughed, feeling good about the victory, The laughter slowly died out as they flew away.  
  
Captain Black staggered to his feet, his vision hazy. He glanced into the cockpit, and knew at once the pilot was dead. No one's head could be bent like that while alive. He pushed open the door, on its side, and stepped out. He was wounded, he could tell, somewhere in his chest. As long as he hadn't hurt and vital organs, he'd be fine until he found aid. If he didn't meet any demons. . .  
  
With a groan, he staggered a few feet and stopped, hardly able to stand. Preston caught him about the shoulders, and lent an arm in support. Captain Black nodded. He hated to lose any men, even the annoying detective. The two walked forward, but the captain could feel his knees buckling. Definitely a major organ.  
  
"Captain Black?" said a voice. His fist reaction was that it was a demon's, but on second thought it was obviously a child's. He glanced down, and saw Jade approaching. He wasn't sure how to react. She did look concerned, but he had just seen her attack his helicopter. Perhaps she had missed? And this Jade was dressed differently.  
  
"Lemme help you," said Jade. She placed a talisman on Captain Black's chest, and he felt the healing effects of the horse. Once fully recovered, he frowned at Jade.  
  
"I don't understand! You were helping that demon just a minute ago."  
  
"Huh?" asked Jade. "Oh, I guess you met my other half." She held out half of the horse talisman. "It's the power of the tiger, see. The demons had me captured, but I escaped and got that talisman. Well, not really escaped," said the ever honest yin Jade, "But they weren't watching me anymore."  
  
"Oh!" said Captain Black, understanding. He nodded, glad that Jade wasn't evil. Technically. He smiled at her, and pat her shoulder. "Don't worry. We have a plan for the demons."  
  
Jade nodded, unsure if she believed this, but trusting her Uncle's friend. She pressed both the healing talisman and the half talisman into his hands. "Take these. So you won't get hurt, and maybe you'll have a chance to get me and the other Jade back together. It's the only way to save Jackie."  
  
"Jackie?" Captain Black perked up, but didn't ask further. He had heard the sound of more jets on the hill, and knew his reinforcements had arrived to save the day. "Alright, Jade. We'll stop the demons right now. Come with me." He smiled, and Jade followed behind him.  
  
Preston stared after them, his face expressionless. Suddenly, he threw his arms to the sky and wailed "Will somebody please tell me what is going ?"  
  
They reached the foothills surrounding the city. Men and women were emerging from plains and beginning to spread out. Captain Black smiled, then turned and shouted "Demons! Surrender now!"  
  
Hsi Wu and Jade were the first to hear this. They both started to laugh. Slowly the other demons stopped what they were doing and came to watch the resistance in amusement, including Xiao Fung. What was Black trying now? They were invincible. Mortal weapons couldn't harm them.  
  
Suddenly, each member of the C.M. Units pulled out a small, yellow, puffer fish and began to chant. Each demon felt the familiar effects of the spell on their body. Instantly, there was a rush to get away. Xiao Fung disappeared a whirlwind. Bai Tsa melted into water. Dai Gui tunneled under the earth. The slower moving demons Tchang Zu, Po Kong, and Tso Lan all became human in order to flee. Hsi Wu began to speed out of the city, moving so quickly he nearly dropped Jade. He did drop one thing- a small stone. It fell near Captain Black's feet. He picked it up and realized it was the other half of the talisman. With a grin, he put the two halves together. The talisman glowed and became one.  
  
Suddenly, Jade was lifted up into the sky. Captain Black could only watch as her twin was ripped from Hsi Wu's claws. The two girls met midway, and suddenly, only one girl remained. Hsi Wu stared, swore, and then swooped and caught the girl. He flew off, following his siblings.  
  
"Can't we stop them?" asked Captain Black. He had lost Jade, normal, good Jade, to those monsters.  
  
"Sorry, sir," said one C.M. wizard. "We aren't are powerful as Uncle was." Captain Black sighed in defeat, then looked about the city. How was he going to explain this?  
  
Author's Note This one was finished well in advance. But my computer broke. Typical. And I couldn't rewrite it because I've had AP Exams. Now, my exam is over, so I'm writing it aaaaall over again. Sheesh. Oh, well, I think the rewrite's better than the original.  
  
Scottishwolf- Ah, I know the pain of a grade based grounding. My parents, however, are truly evil. An six months with no computer, no television, no gameboy, and friends only as a reward for good behavior. And they threatened to stop letting me read books that weren't academic. Now I am a straight A student. However, I may eventually trade whatever success I get from that for expensive therapy. JK, my parents are generally nice except when they do something like that. Hey, I get most of my reviewing done when I'm in science lab.  
  
ShadowElfBard- Not two any more. . .Only one Jade now. And i don't know how many will be there once Valmont & Co show up.  
  
DanMat- Lol! It sounds hilarious. I especially love "Section 13 worker: Boys, someone has sprung your bail.  
  
Finn: Alright!  
  
Chow: Yeah!  
  
S-13 Worker: [stops him] Sorry. He didn't supply enough money to get you out.  
  
Chow: WHAT!?" And the 625 quote, too. I love 625, but I can't understand why people think badmouthing him is offensive to fans. His whole appeal is what an annoying little berk he is. He's nearly as cute as Stitch for it.  
  
VampireNaomi- I've seen originality, but it is rare. Sometimes cliché fics can be cute, but it's so hard to find the good ones! I usually give up or find the fansites away from ff.net. Yes, I did love putting the enforcers as maids. Heh  
  
Souma Kagura- -.- I knew this would happen. I love having Valmont here too, but people are too excited. I put him there on a random thought, so I don't know what his role will be. I'll give him one, never fear, but it won't be big. 


	21. Terms of the Agreement

Chapter 21 Terms of the Agreement  
  
"You should wake up," hissed a voice right above Jade. She opened her eyes and nearly screamed when she saw the glowing red eyes of a demon right above her. Then, she remembered.  
  
"Get out of my face!" she shouted and struggled, trying to worm her way out of his grip. And then she realized that they were currently flying several hundred feet above the earth. He stopped struggling, but fixed her face with a glare.  
  
Hsi Wu shook his head and frowned. "It is too bad you and your other half rejoined. You were so much more interesting before. I had no idea humans could be so demonic. But now you are back to the heroics, aren't you?"  
  
Jade glared, his comment hurting. She could hardly believe all of the things she had done. Abandoned the J-Team, helped the demons, nearly got Captain Black killed. . .she hated to think her bad side was really so bad. Even Jackie's bad side hadn't done anything like that. "Well, I'm through helping you," she stated as Hsi Wu began to descend. They were heading into a mountainous area, and the sky demon had to maneuver deftly between tree covers. "Maybe my evil side wants to help demons, but not me. Don't worry, because I'll have all of you back to the Netherworld in the blink of an eye."  
  
Hsi Wu gave her a look of deep disgust. "You are a fool, as all mortals of your clan seem to be. You cannot defeat us- all seven of us are free and the only chi wizards learned in the art of banishment are sealed to their doom in the demon realm. Don't think that they will survive- their flesh is all that keeps our masters content not to spread their influence into this world. I happen to like this world, Jade. Nothing can beat the freedom found here. My siblings will not be pleased with any attempts of yours. They will already be angry with the loss of the battle, and you will be killed. It is much better to collaborate, and be protected as our personal servant when the world is ours."  
  
"Too bad the world will never be yours," commented Jade in anger. "Don't you watch movies? Good _always_ triumphs over evil."  
  
"Real life is different," said Hsi Wu. "The strongest win. Good and evil has nothing to do with it. I tolerate you enough that I can keep you safe if you do not do anything foolish. Trust me, Jade, this is a lesson I've learned over many centuries."  
  
"Brother Hsi Wu?" asked a voice. "Do I hear you conversing with the mortal?" Hsi Wu froze, but obviously the demons heard nothing of importance, as emerging from the trees were Tso Lan and Tchang Zu. While Tso Lan could keep useful information to himself, Tchang Zu did not know the meaning of subtlety. It was obvious he had no quarrel with Hsi Wu, as he channeled his fury towards Jade.  
  
"The little worm betrayed us, brothers!" he hissed. "She led us into a trap. The fool. We will rise from this defeat and seek revenge against all who opposed us, beginning with her!"  
  
The thunder demon looked prepared to kill the girl, but Hsi Wu stepped forward and said hurriedly, "Brother, I believe the girl's intentions were honorable. This setback is merely bad luck, soon fixed. We shall need a mortal's expertise to locate Captain Black, shall we not?"  
  
Tso Lan nodded softly behind Tchang Zu, but the thunder demon ignored his younger brother. "Hsi Wu," he said angrily. "Do you dare question my judgement? Dishonoring our family is a crime worthy of death." With a mighty fist, he swung and knocked Hsi Wu into a tree.  
  
"Oh, shut up and leave him alone," groaned Jade, growing extremely impatient. "If there's one thing I hate, it's bullies. But I don't care about your stupid fights. I'm outta here."  
  
"You will not leave here alive, small Chan," hissed Tchang Zu. The girl was already walking off, but Tchang Zu prepared to use his powers. But at that moment, Hsi Wu knocked off his daze and, eyes narrowed in anger, charged at Tchang Zu. Tso Lan stopped him in midair.  
  
"Do not allow the stress of today's battle overcome your wits, brother," he whispered warningly. "We do not practice defiance against our elders, so that was certainly not your intention, was it?" He let go of Hsi Wu, and the sky demon fell. It became clear that Jade was no longer among them. Tchang Zu looked as though he were about to do something drastic, but first Tso Lan spoke. "Hsi Wu, I suggest you retrieve the child quickly, as she may be useful. If it is permissible to my brother, of course," he said as an afterthought, a mere formality.  
  
"Yes," agreed Tchang Zu, knowing that to say otherwise would be idiocy. "You are responsible for her loss. Do not return until you have her in your claws, brother. I do not want to see your disgusting face again until you have proven yourself worthy of your blood."  
  
Hsi Wu sat where he had fallen and glared in defiance, but finally stood, shook the mud off his wings, and took off to where Jade had gone, grumbling.  
  
Jade crawled through the brush, feeling the sharp spines tear at her body. She kept glancing over her shoulder, afraid that one of the demons would catch up to her. This was hopeless. She couldn't move as fast as they, and even if they didn't catch her, she didn't even know if she was moving north anymore. How would she ever get to San Francisco, or Australia for that matter? And once there, what would she do?  
  
There was a swoop of air and a hissing voice. "Jade," he called. Jade nearly gasped. Hsi Wu was nearby. She crawled behind the brush next to her and held her breath, hoping he'd leave her alone.  
  
"Jade," said the voice again, "Don't be foolish. I can hear the very beating of your heart, and feel the blood in your veins." Jade shuddered at his tone, and wondered if he was going to kill her. As if reading her mind, Hsi Wu said "Come out, little Jade, and I won't hurt you. Only, I can't make promises for my siblings." He was getting closer. Jade frowned, and stepped out of her hiding spot.  
  
"Leave me alone, Hsi Wu," she said venomously, her eyes narrowed. Hsi Wu chuckled, stopping in mid air and landing next to her.  
  
"Come. I'm taking you back to my siblings," he said, frowning. "Don't struggle, It'll only make this more difficult."  
  
Jade stuck her tongue out. "Hsi Wu, why do you even listen to your stupid siblings? You don't even like them."  
  
To her surprise, Hsi Wu hit her hard in the face with the back of his hand. "Don't speak ill of my family, mortal. I could kill you in one blow."  
  
Jade glared at him, and didn't speak, but after a few seconds touched the red mark on her face with her hand. Hsi Wu's look softened.  
  
"Jade," he said, "Don't go. I'm sure my family will not kill you if you apologize. You can be our servant, and you will be protected when the world is ours! We treat our servants well, Jade, and the work isn't too hard!" Hsi Wu frowned, considering this. "Can you play a flute?" he asked eventually.  
  
"I don't want to serve demons," said Jade proudly.  
  
Hsi Wu glared. "I liked you better when you were evil," he muttered.  
  
"I'm sure you did. I'm sure you demons loved having a mortal to go around killing people with," Jade said, her look dark. She still didn't like to think that she had been so bad.  
  
"No," retorted Hsi Wu. "I liked you better because you weren't so stuck up."  
  
"I'm stuck up?" said Jade, chuckling in a way that showed she wasn't amused.  
  
"Yes." Said Hsi Wu. "You think you are better than me because you believe you are good. Don't forget what lurks inside you, human. I have seen an evil as great as any demon, and she at least bothered to give the seven of us a chance."  
  
Jade didn't respond. She glared at the demon before her defiantly, but part of her knew what he said was true. She had liked Hsi Wu. It wasn't just her dark side, either. There had been times where he had seemed almost civil. Where she would've sworn that if he hadn't been a demon, they might've become friends. Jade remembered her brief friendship with Seymour. He had been fun, funny, brave, and cool, but what's more, he had really seemed to care about what she had to say. But then he'd broken her heart. "Sorry, Hsi Wu," said Jade with a sigh. "You really aren't as bad as the others, but I'm not going to let you stop me from saving my family."  
  
"You don't even like them, either!" protested Hsi Wu. "You told me! They always boss you around and don't take you seriously. It doesn't make sense. At least we'll take you seriously."  
  
"I love my family," said Jade, to her embarrassment going slightly teary eyed. "They hardly ever take me seriously and Jackie bosses me around a lot, but they still care about me and I still care about them. That's-" Jade frowned and paused. "If I ever go all mushy like that again, stop me, okay? I'm gonna go save them."  
  
"Hmm," said Hsi Wu. He didn't move as he watched her leave. He knew he couldn't go back to his siblings empty handed, but he didn't feel much like fighting Jade. Mortal child though she was, she was at least better company than his siblings. He had hoped she would stick around. It was good to have someone further down on the food-chain than oneself, but there was more to it. He liked having someone to whom he didn't have to be careful about what he said. With his siblings, he could never speak his mind out of fear.  
  
"Wait," he called after her, then regretted it. What could he say? She would probably go no matter what he said. The only thing for it was to fight. But he hoped he wouldn't have to, because then she might not speak to him anymore. He'd try to convince her, and if that failed, he would use force. "Jade, how can you save them, anyways? How will you get to the island again? You don't know where it is."  
  
"I'll get Captain Black. He'll know how to find it," Jade said automatically, despite the fact she knew she shouldn't disclose her plans to a demon.  
  
"Well, you can't open the portal," Hsi Wu sulked. "Why don't you come back with us, instead? You can be my servant. I promise you won't have to do hard work. It will be fun."  
  
"You're right," said Jade. "Not about the servant, but about the portal." Hsi Wu looked triumphant, but Jade continued. "So you should come help _me_."  
  
"What?" thundered Hsi Wu. "A demon behave as a servant for a mortal? Certainly not. Besides, I don't see any reason why I should."  
  
"You wouldn't be a servant," countered Jade. "More of an assistant. And, you wouldn't have to be with your siblings anymore. And once Jackie and Uncle are free, they'll surely want to banish all you demons. If you help me out, I'll return the favor, and make sure you aren't around when they do so. Sound like a plan?"  
  
Hsi Wu considered this. He'd always dreamt of being able to leave his siblings and fly away on his own, a free demon. But he'd never imagined it wuld happen, and the prospect, although he was ashamed to admit it, frightened him. His siblings were a safety net- if anything went wrong, at least he knew they'd stand up for him. Not out of love, of course, but family honor. Still, he'd far rather be free and alone than imprisoned in the demon world with them. He nodded at Jade. "I accept your offer. But understand that I only do this out of the desire to remain free."  
  
"Good," smiled Jade. "Let's get going."  
  
Author's Note(s)  
  
I hope you realize how much I suffered to get this up on time. I just received via Amazon.com Pokemon Ruby. I've been wanting this game for a year, and finally had the cash. Only a true Pokemaniac understands the joy of Ruby and Sapphire. It is even cooler than Red and Blue! I love how many sidequests there are, and I think Wally's the cutest! I felt so bad beating him. Plus, Pokemon abilities rock! My team is a Kirlia, a Mightyena, a Marshtomp, a Torkoal, and then alternating between Tailow, Minun, and Roselia, and I'm already in Lavaridge. I'm sure none of you have a clue what I just said, but if you like Pokemon, this game is for you. I now conclude our special advertising section.  
  
DanMat- I completely forgot to answer your question for chapter 19. AU stands for Alternative Universe. This can mean one of two things- The first is that you're going to change one aspect of the show to make a fic out of it. For example, I could write a fic where, instead of Shendu being trapped as a statue again after the Dragon episode in season 3, he had gone on to conquer the world. I know it didn't actually happen, but I'm writing about what could've happened. The other is if you're writing a fic and another episode comes out to contradict it, your fic is AU. Say I was writing a fic in which Jackie finds out he is actually "The Chosen One," and then an episode comes out proving it was Jade all along, my fic would now be AU. I could keep on writing it, but everyone would know that it couldn't actually happen on the show. Hope that clears it up. Usually it refers to big changes, so if you wrote a fic in which Uncle's real name was Jack (I doubt it) and another episode came out saying it was Jerry, that wouldn't be a big deal. But if you were writing about Uncle's childhood as an acrobat and he was actually a riverdancer, you'd be AU. (Okay, now I'm just being silly.)  
  
VampireNaomi- Wow, I'm glad my fic made you happy! Well, you know how I feel about your demons (You made me like Dai Gui!), but thank you for the compliment.  
  
Souma Kagura- Sorry I stole your dialogue. But hey, write it anyway. It comes out of two different authors' minds, so it should give two different takes on a situation. Also, probably a bit of Valmont next chapter.  
  
Scottishwolf- Congratulations! Eventually they always come around.  
  
ShadowElfBard- Well, I certainly wouldn't want that to happen. . .Don't worry, nearly summer. I'm counting down the days.  
  
Miyo86- Probably some Jackie scenes next chapter, actually. I have to get what's been going on there out sometimes; I'm just not sure when.  
  
Yu Mutou- Well, there you go. That's what happens.  
  
Listen up, kiddies! Check out my blog: is my blog, so it has plenty of boring entries about my boring life, but at the bottom of each entry when you scroll down is scheduling info, so you'll always know when Talismans will be late. Nifty, eh? 


	22. Some Explanations

**Chapter 22-** Some Explanations  
  
"Viper! El Torro!" exclaimed Jackie happily as he approached his two friends. They stood alone in the center of a large, white hallway, silent and still until they heard Jackie's voice. They turned, and Jackie hurried towards them. CyrRa smiled and let him go ahead. It was obvious that Viper and El Torro, like Jackie, had gotten the guest of honor treatment- both looked well rested and clean, and were wearing ornate robes of he same kind Jackie wore. Now that he examined the robes, he noticed that they were all green, and had an interesting gold draconian embroidery.  
  
"Good morning, my friend," said El Torro solemnly. Then, he glanced around. "A great change of scenery, yes?" he chuckled to himself.  
  
"It's amazing," agreed Jackie quietly. "The decorations here are like nothing I've ever seen. Far richer than the greatest of the palaces I've been to, and better preserved. And, the style seems to be related to early Chinese art, strangely enough."  
  
"There's something not quite right about this place," muttered Viper, with a glance at Jackie.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Jackie in surprise. "There's a lot of magic here, yes. But the people seem nice enough."  
  
Viper's mouth twisted into a sardonic smile. "That's exactly the problem. Everything here is just so beautiful, from the décor to the people. You've met CyrRa, that should be indication enough. They all look like her, and they're all about her age. There are no kids anywhere, and no one who looks a day over thirty, either."  
  
"Oh!" said Jackie with a laugh. "Don't worry. I know it looks strange to you, but not to me. I've been to a place like this before- the city of the Muntabs. They've obviously developed a magical way of keeping young. CyrRa told me that she was really nearly 9,000 years old."  
  
Viper didn't look convinced. She was about to speak further, when CyrRa soundlessly approached, suddenly standing right between Jackie and Viper. "Our honored guests," she said sweetly, "The supper feast shall begin shortly, and my people shall miss your presence."  
  
With a glance at Viper clearly telling her not to insult anyone, Jackie nodded. "We shall all be happy to join your feast. Your hospitality is most appreciated. . ."  
  
CyrRa led Jackie, Viper, and El Torro through a pair of large, marble doors. Inside was another white room, this one brightly lit by a window to the blue skies outside. There was a long, lovely table in the middle of the room, and fifteen people sitting along it. Jackie could see that Viper was right- they were mostly women with a few men, and they were all simply the most beautiful people Jackie had ever seen. They sat completely straight and still, watching Jackie and his friends in silence. Then, CyrRa stepped into the hall and everyone bowed his head to them.  
  
"My people," she said in a gentle voice. "Let me introduce Jackie Chan. He is to be our hero." A smile crossed her face as she said this, and it was instantly returned on the faces of every individual in the room.  
  
"Oh, thank you," said Jackie with a sheepish wave. "I am not really a hero, honestly, but I promise to help you."  
  
"Thank you, Jackie," every voice in the room chorused as one. He, Viper, and El Torro were sat at the head of the table, next to CyrRa and in front of the great window. Jackie peered into it, and saw that this palace floated in the air, so that the ground below wasn't at all visible. It was interesting to watch the clouds drift slowly down below.  
  
"Jackie," said CyrRa sweetly. E turned and she gestured to the table, which was covered with sweet, juicy fruits. "Eat," she beckoned, handing him a pomegranate.

* * *

"_Alseun het leho ceon remoj_," whispered Hsi Wu is a low hiss. Jade stared as once more, the blue sky ripped into two pieces, revealing the fiery netherworld within.  
  
"That was cool," she said with a grin. Then, she stuck her head through the tear, grinning at the thought that she was currently in two universes at once. "Hey, Jackie!" she called. "We're here to rescue you!"  
  
She felt a talon grip her leg, pulling her back into her own universe. "Don't be foolish, Jade," said Hsi Wu with a shake of his head. "They won't be able to hear you."  
  
He lifted Jade up in his claws, and then flew through the portal. "Perhaps," he said thoughtfully, "I should start by explaining why we sealed your uncle in the netherworld. Obviously, it is simpler and safer to simply kill ones enemies than enact a less permanent revenge."  
  
Jade nodded to show that she was listening, so Hsi Wu continued. "But the real reason goes back to our creation." He paused. "Jade, I am telling you something now that no mortal has ever known, and that no demon should ever speak of. We demons call each other our siblings, but that is not technically true as none of us were ever born. We were created by a dark chi wizard who lived in a universe called Onacdr. Are you familiar with Onacdr?"  
  
"No," said Jade, with a frown. Then she grinned. "Then again, I failed my geography test."  
  
Hsi Wu didn't laugh, but he did smile at Jade's unending need to make jokes. It was something that hadn't been carried over to her yang half. "Onacdr is the universe we are in now, although this is just its dungeon. The real Onacdr was once a great magical civilization, but has been long since destroyed. Our creator made us to challenge the emperor of Onacdr, old Alcoj. We. . .we were not strong enough to fight Alcoj, so we were sent to your planet to rule there. Gesa knew this would anger Alcoj, who was a great lover of his 'little brother civilization,' as he called earth. Unfortunately, Alcoj sent Onacdr's greatest warrior, Lo Pei, to defeat us." Hsi Wu rolled his eyes as he said the name.  
  
"Hey!" said Jade. "I know Lo Pei!" At Hsi Wu's stare, she said "Well, his statue, at least. He was really cool."  
  
"I don't know about that," sneered Hsi Wu, "But I do know that he raised an army of mortals to drive my siblings and I back to Onacdr, despite the fact that Alcoj was waiting and would surely kill us. But we suffered by his hands a fate even worse. . .we were sentenced to be trapped in his dungeons for all eternity."  
  
"Yeah, well," said Jade slowly, "I mean, you killed people and stuff. . ."  
  
"Jade," said Hsi Wu sharply. "Do you have any idea how long a eternity is? We were trapped in hell, with no prey but each other, nothing to do but drift endlessly from day to day. There was no food or drink, so we starved but due to our immortality, couldn't die. There was nothing to do but dream of what we had lost, and scheme of how to regain what we once had."  
  
"Wow," Jade whispered. It really did sound awful. She couldn't imagine spending an infinite amount of time in the kind of torture. She went crazy just having to spend an afternoon locked in her room when she was grounded.  
  
"Alcoj even created a guard to make sure we could never escape- sixteen imperial Onacdr dragons. This was is big mistake- the dragons were far more powerful than we were, but they were also as powerful as the Onacdrians, and too intelligent for their own good. At one time, they regularly flew through your world, barring the passage to us and watching our brother Shendu, who was trapped in your world in order to keep the balance of yin and yang and prevent the entry of a new, greater evil."  
  
"Oops," said Jade sheepishly.  
  
Hsi Wu smiled. "You weren't the first of your world to disrupt this balance. Shendu had been trying to reclaim his body for centuries. But in those days, the imperial dragons stopped all of Shendu's schemes. However, after one of these plans, Shendu did something both very clever and very foolish. He talked to the dragons, and convinced them that he and they were brethren. He convinced them tat their powers were being wasted, serving the Onacdrians. And he made a blood pact with them, that if once they became masters of the Onacdr universe would free him, he would serve them and provide them with mortals. The dragons had been created out of Alcoj's good magic, which while it was powerful, it was about as real as my human illusion. While the Onacdrians kept feeding the dragons magic and power, they were strong, but without this magic nearby, the dragons would die."  
  
Hsi Wu paused so that Jade could take all of this in. She thought about all this, and then said "So, the dragons beat the Onacdrians, right?"  
  
"Right," said Hsi Wu. "The Onacdrians cut off the magic from the dragons as soon as they rebelled, but the battle still only took centuries. That is not long for a battle between immortals and the long-lifed Onacdrians. Alcoj was killed early on, but his people remained to fight. Once Shendu was in your world, while he was in possession of Valmont, he would send the occasional magical artifact through to be given to the dragons. This kept them strong enough to win the battle and defeat the Onacdrians."  
  
Jade looked kind of sad, as she had been rooting for Onacdr. She only knew one Onacdrian, but she had liked Lo Pei a lot. Hsi Wu sighed, as if reading her thoughts. "Jade, the demons never liked the imperial dragons- they were a greater danger to us than the Onacdrians. Shendu's blood pact made it worse- because it was made in blood, then all who shared his blood also had to follow it. This is why we imprisoned your family."  
  
"But won't they hurt you, now that you aren't obeying them anymore?" asked Jade, surprised to hear some concern creep into her voice.  
  
"If they can find me," said Hsi Wu with a smile. "But I plan to hide well, and they'd never think to look for me. I'm the least of the demons, you know." Before the pair, suddenly looming out of the great red dungeons, was the gate of Onacdr. It stood wide open, showing the blue sky of the world below.  
  
"Jade," cautioned Hsi Wu, "I won't be able to go through here. There's a spell on the gates. But your family will be somewhere in this world. The dragons can't leave through the gates, either, so once you get back, you should be able to get home safely. I'll be going back now. . .I want to hide just in case you forget our deal."  
  
"I won't," protested Jade. Then, she glanced down into Onacdr. "Um, Hsi Wu? How will I get down there?"  
  
Hsi Wu thought about this, and then sighed. He muttered a spell under his breath, and gray shadows began to swirl in his hand. They solidified, and became a small gray stone. Hsi Wu clenched it shut in his claws, and landed on one of the floating rocks. He set Jade down, and handed her the stone.  
  
"What is it?" asked Jade, looking at it in confusion. It looked like an ordinary stone, except that it was shinier than the usual garden rock would be.  
  
Hsi Wu smiled. "I'm the sky demon. I'm allowed to have talismans, too. This stone holds my power of flight. If you hold it, you'll be able to fly, too."  
  
Jade stared, mouth slightly agape. "Really? Wow, thank you, Hsi Wu."  
  
Hsi Wu shrugged, a small smile. "It should come in handy. But I will be wanting it back," he said with a demonic sneer that was obviously supposed to be frightening. Once, Jade would've been concerned, or at least defiant. But she glanced at the rock in her hand and then smiled at Hsi Wu.  
  
"I'll make sure you get it back." She turned to fly into the world below. Suddenly, she turned back to Hsi Wu, still sitting on the rock, and said "You're not the least of the demons at all." She kissed him on the cheek, blushed in surprise at what she had done, and then dove into Onadr.  
  
After she had gone, Hsi Wu stared at the blue sky in front of him for quite some time. His claw brushed his cheek unconsciously, and then he shook himself, spread his wings, and glided away, back towards the earth.  
  
**Author's Note-** This is probably the most important chapter in the story, and I hate it. It's a lot of explanation and not too much story, and Hsi Wu is very OOC throughout most of it. But this is a lot of information that is pretty crucial. Homework assignment, readers! Read back over the chapter 'CyrRa,' and see if you pick up any inconsistencies. Cookie to anyone who gets something important! We're getting close to the end, now, so we'll be finding out a lot of things in the next couple of chapters.  
  
Please ask about any confusion you have, because Hsi Wu's explanation was badly written. One I'd like to answer now is whether or not Hsi Wu can fly without the stone thing, since he glides off- his body is built like a bat's, so he's still able to glide a bit, especially in the low gravity netherworld, but he's a bit too heavy to really fly much.  
  
I decided to add that little kiss in there just to distract from how bad the rest of the chapter was ;) behold my sneakiness.

Hmm...fanfiction.net's quick edit is convenient, but it messes up my formatting and deletes all my page breakers. So I'm trying a new format, and will probably convert the old chapters to this eventually.


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